Mistletoes play important roles in biogeochemical cycles. Although many studies have compared nutrient concentrations between mistletoes and their hosts, no general patterns have been found and the nutrient uptake mechanisms in mistletoes have not been fully resolved. To address the water and...

Hemiparasitic weed species infects fruit crops and other economically important trees reducing their productivity and timber quality. They absorb water and minerals from the host through haustorium. Further insight into the host parasitic infection is essential for formulating effective...

Endemism and rarity have long intrigued scientists. We focused on a rare endemic and critically-endangered species in a global biodiversity hotspot, Grevillea thelemanniana (Proteaceae). We carried out plant and soil analyses of four Proteaceae, including G. thelemanniana, and combined these with...

Seasonal drought occurs frequently and restricts plant growth in karst area. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important biological components in karst ecosystem, which have positive effects on plants' water absorption and growth and could enhance the ability of plants to resist karst drought. ...

Vegetable and ornamental crops require high input demand to adequately support their standard commercial quality and yield. For these crops, a very high level of agronomic use efficiency of many productive factors can be achieved in soilless culture. For example, the benefits derived from the...

The South American soursop, guanabana or graviola fruit, was unknown to Europeans until the voyages of Christopher Columbus. The tree is now grown commercially and in home gardens throughout the tropics. The fruit is consumed as a fresh fruit and juice, and the frozen pulp is used in the...

The formation of apoplastic barriers is important for controlling the uptake of water and ions by plants, thereby influencing plant growth. However, the effects of plant growth-promoting bacteria on the formation of apoplastic barriers, and the relationship between these effects and the ability of...

Tropical forests are fundamental in the global water and carbon cycles, yet they are under threat of drought induced mortality. Tropical forests typically grow in phosphorus (P) pool soils. Through compiling data from tropical forests around the world, we showed that multiple tropical species...

With global climate change, atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and drought have been well documented to cause substantial challenges for tropical and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. Here, we conducted an experiment that measured the physiological responses of the seedlings of three...

Spectral reflectance is a new, real time and non-destructive hyperspectral remote sensing application to monitor plant water status and physiological changes. The spectral reflectance responses induced by water stress reflect the interaction and coupling of carbon, nitrogen and water cycles. A...