Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Natalie Ahlstrand @natalieahlstrand.bsky.social · 23d

A wonderful opportunity for a fully funded #PhD position in collections-based research at Natural History Musuem Denmark @nhmdk.bsky.social

Reach out if interested in a PhD project in #peatland #sedges, #aquatic plants, or #ferns! 🌿🍂🌾

#globalchange #eco-evo

employment.ku.dk/phd/?show=16...

PhD fellowship in collection-based Natural History Research

employment.ku.dk

5 5

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Oregon State University Botany and Plant Pathology @osubpp.bsky.social · Aug 6

The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University is Hiring!

We are searching for a Director of the Oregon State University Herbarium and applications are welcomed at the ranks of assistant, associate, or full professor.

Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University is hiring a Directory of the Herbarium

1 110 83

Natalie Ahlstrand @natalieahlstrand.bsky.social · Aug 21

Thank you @botany.one for covering our latest work on tracking changes in Arctic shrub growth in response to climate change over the past 120 years using digital herbarium specimens collected in Greenland.

botany.one/2025/08/no-n...

No need to put a ring on it

Digital images of herbarium specimens can be used to non-destructively measure woody plant growth and assess response to climate change in the Arctic.

botany.one

2 8

Natalie Ahlstrand @natalieahlstrand.bsky.social · Jul 21

Searching for the critically endangered slender cottongrass, Eriophorum gracile, and other beautiful sedges in Danish #peatlands - with @ninaronsted.bsky.social & PhD student Sverre JS

#bogs #fens #rareplants #botanicalresurveys

1 4

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Dr. Merritt Rae Turetsky @queenofpeat.bsky.social · Jul 19

Sphagnum mosses are fascinating from physiology, ecology, and climate perspectives. I'm especially proud of this @newphyt.bsky.social paper meant to inspire new research on ecoevolution and biodiversity. Check out the incredible cover art by Blanka Aguero! nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Image of the cover of the New Phytologist journal showing a close up image of brown and orange Sphagnum plants.

21 83

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

juli g pausas @jgpausas.bsky.social · Jun 23

Yes! Two independent studies, using very different approaches (and published in the same month), suggest that climate warming has been detectable since the late 19th C.

Plants detected climate warming about 135 years ago!
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... | @newphyt.bsky.social 🧪🌍🌿🌾🌳🌐

The onset of phenological plant response to climate warming

Click on the article title to read more.

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

12 16

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Brandon Samuel Whitley @brandonswhitley.bsky.social · Jun 15

I am excited to share that the first chapter of my PhD thesis has been published! The paper is titled “Harmonising digitised herbarium data to enhance biodiversity knowledge: Major steps towards an updated checklist for the flora of Greenland”.

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Harmonising digitised herbarium data to enhance biodiversity knowledge: Major steps towards an updated checklist for the flora of Greenland

Herbaria worldwide hold centuries of plant data that are key to understanding and protecting biodiversity; however, even with increased digital access, differences in plant naming systems make it dif....

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

1 8 46

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Science Magazine @science.org · Jun 12

As the world warms, plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings find ways to respond to the heat.

In a new special issue of Science, researchers examine how heat affects plants at multiple scales, from the molecular level to the biosphere. scim.ag/44cSw3Z

Infrared imaging shows heat levels in sun-exposed leaves of Alstonia scholaris from the Australian Wet Tropics. As climate change increases temperatures and the severity of heat waves, both natural ecosystems and agricultural plants are increasingly affected by heat. Examining heat responses at cellular, genetic, physiological, and ecosystem scales, this special issue explores how plants sense and respond to high temperatures.

2 59 120

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Dr. Hilary Rose Dawson @hilaryrosed.bsky.social · Jun 12

For those following the #iNaturalist LLM/genAI uproar, the iNat team has responded with more details about how they envision this change. You can submit comments about the plan here: inaturalist.typeform.com/to/hCrKAbW0

iNaturalist @inaturalist.bsky.social · Jun 12

We've posted a clearly marked update at the bottom of the blog post: www.inaturalist.org/blog/113184-...

iNaturalist receives grant to improve species suggestions

iNaturalist is excited to announce an award from Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI to help build tools to improve the identification experience for the iNaturalist community. The project we propos...

www.inaturalist.org

3 12

Natalie Ahlstrand @natalieahlstrand.bsky.social · Jun 10

Herbarium specimens reveal drivers of Arctic shrub growth @newphyt.bsky.social

Shrub specimens can be used to recreate annual growth chronologies and help understand plant responses to global change.

With @annebeejay.bsky.social, ZA Panchen, JDM Speed

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

1 13 36

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Moreno Di Marco @m-dimarco.bsky.social · Jun 10

📢 New in @globalchangebio.bsky.social

The Accelerating Exposure of European #ProtectedAreas to #ClimateChange

We measure climate velocity and magnitude in Europe, and estimate risk for #ProtectedAreas and species.

Paper and maps available OA
doi.org/10.1111/gcb.... @martacimatti.bsky.social

Overlay of the values within the last quartile (higher values) from each climate risk metric for scenario SSP3-7.0. Areas in the map are color-coded based on their overlap with hotspots of exposure identified based on different climate metrics (Local, local velocity; Analog, analog velocity; Magnitude). Areas with no analogues within the 1500 km search radius (NA values on land) are shown as blank spots (i.e. central Greenland). Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.

5 3

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · Jun 7

The deadline is soon! Nature has launched its seventh global survey of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) doctoral students, which will probe graduate students’ views about their goals and challenges, and their experiences of their studies so far. #Academicsky 🧪

PhD students in STEM: Nature wants to hear from you

Buried in lab work or drowning in data? Take a break and help shape the future of PhD education.

go.nature.com

18 36

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Natasha de Vere @ndevere.bsky.social · Jun 7

Thank you to @grrlscientist.bsky.social for covering our new paper in @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Der Führer hat immer recht! 🇺🇦 @grrlscientist.bsky.social · Jun 6

What Are The Best Wildflowers To Attract Bees? a study published by Plants, People, Planet

#SciComm by @grrlscientist.bsky.social

#bees #pollinators #insects #wildflowers #ecology www.forbes.com/sites/grrlsc...

1 6 14

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · Jun 6

#Viewpoint: Cones and consequences: the false dichotomy of #conifers vs #broad-leaves has critical implications for research and modelling

Kate Johnson, Matilda Brown, Katya Bandow & Helena Vallicrosa 👇

📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

#LatestIssue

Global distribution of conifer leaf widths and silhouettes of both broad-leaved conifers and nonbroad-leaved woody angiosperms.

5 15

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Nature Ecology & Evolution @natecoevo.nature.com · Jun 3

Read the accompanying News & Views commentary by Catherine Sheard 👇

"Some birds are left behind in a race to beat the heat" www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Free to read: rdcu.be/epgXI

Photo credits: Dave Menke (a; public domain), Glenn Bartley/All Canada Photos/Alamy Stock Photo (b).

Composite photo of a brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum, winter range), and a Nashville warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla, summer range).

2 2 4

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

WSL Umweltforschung @wslresearch.bsky.social · May 14

🌲🖥️ #PhDAlert! MSc in a #natural #science & experience with #tree-ring analysis and statistical software (R)? Fluent in English and ready for #fieldwork? Our #forest dynamics #research unit is looking for a #PhD candidate in #dendroecology and #ecophysiology! apply.refline.ch/273855/1736/...

PhD candidate in Dendroecology and Ecophysiology
The project involves fieldwork, lab analyses and manipulative experiments. The research sites are located in the Alps (Switzerland), Pyrenees (Spain), and Carpathians (Romania), and the experimental study will be conducted in Switzerland. You will apply dendroecological techniques to measure and analyse carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the cellulose of tree rings as proxies of physiological changes. Additionally, you will participate in an experimental study on saplings growing along an elevational transect in the Alps, examining their morphological, physiological, and phenological responses to climate stressors (heat, drought, and frost). Ultimately, the goal is to rank species by their sensitivity to recent and future climatic stressors, helping forest managers select the most resilient species for each elevation zone.
You hold a Master’s degree in forest ecology, ecology, plant physiology, environmental science, or a related field. Ideally, you already have experience with tree-ring analysis, ecophysiology, or climate data analysis. You have a good command of English, enjoy working collaboratively, and are comfortable using statistical software, preferably R. You are in good physical condition so that you can move safely over rough terrain. In addition, you are independent, self-motivated, and eager to take on a challenging project that will contribute to a deeper understanding of how climate change affects forest ecosystems. This position offers an exciting opportunity for those seeking a career in dendroecology, ecophysiology, or climate change science. You will work in an international research environment with access to cutting-edge methods and collaboration opportunities in Spain and Romania. Working place will be at WSL in Birmensdorf (approx. 20 min outside of Zurich); PhD enrolment will be at University of Bern.

27 27

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Nature Portfolio @natureportfolio.nature.com · May 24

A study in Nature Climate Change shows irreversible global glacier loss for centuries after overshooting 1.5 °C of warming, implying long-term reductions in glacial water resources with amplified impacts in regions where glaciers regrow. ⚒️ 🧪

Irreversible glacier change and trough water for centuries after overshooting 1.5 °C - Nature Climate Change

How mountain glaciers will react to temporarily overshooting 1.5 °C of warming is poorly understood. Here the authors show irreversible global glacier loss for centuries after overshoot, implying long-term reductions in glacial water resources with amplified impacts in regions where glaciers regrow.

go.nature.com

29 45

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Iris Hordijk @iris-hordijk.bsky.social · May 23

Publication out on the effect of climate on traits of dominant and rare tree species in the world’s forests in natcomms.nature.com‬rdcu.be/enby2

Effect of climate on traits of dominant and rare tree species in the world’s forests

Nature Communications - Species’ traits and environmental conditions determine the abundance of tree species across the globe. Here, the authors find that dominant tree species are taller and...

rdcu.be

1 28 71

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Theresa Crimmins @theresacrimmins.bsky.social · Oct 25

Call for papers! Special issue in new @SpringerNature journal _Discover Life_ : Plant #phenology in an era of rapid global change: new perspectives and frontiers. Co-editing this collection with the fabulous Rob Guralnick and @diji.bsky.social

link.springer.com/collections/...

Plant phenology in an era of rapid global change: new perspectives and frontiers

Phenology is a crucial indicator of plant responses to environmental changes, with multifaceted implications for individual plants, ecological communities, ...

link.springer.com

1 5 9

Natalie Ahlstrand @natalieahlstrand.bsky.social · May 19

Interested in how global specimen digitisation efforts are enabling large-scale phenology research? 🌱🌼🍂

Check out our Viewpoint article published on-line today in @newphyt.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1111/nph....

#plantphenology #climatechange #herbariumspecimens #globalchange

The promise of digital herbarium specimens in large‐scale phenology research

The online mobilization of herbaria has made tens of millions of specimens digitally available, revolutionizing investigations of phenology and plant responses to climate change. We identify two main....

doi.org

8 18

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · May 16

Check out this new #AJB essay by Jitka Klimešová, Timothy Harris & Tomáš Herben!

Morphological knowledge in plant #ecology and why it matters

doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany #plantscience

Graphical art (lino-cut) showing functional ecologists busy with measuring leaf and fine root traits while ignoring storage and clonal growth organ

16 47

Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand

European Citizen Science Association @ecsa.ngo · May 6

READ AND ENDORSE THE NEWLY PUBLISHED POSITION PAPER ON "CITIZEN SCIENCE FOR THE FUTURE OF EUROPE"
#Citizenscience needs dedicated funding to succeed. Join us in advocating for more impactful citizen science in the upcoming European Framework Programme.
citizensciencefp10.eu

@ec.europa.eu @ecs.ngo

10 20

Natalie Ahlstrand @natalieahlstrand.bsky.social · Apr 30

Exploring the Harvard University Herbaria today! Digging into their rich botanical collections & for a project on the impacts of global change on sedges #Cyperaceae 💚

3