Signaling Pathway Ensures That Plants Remember To Flower

Why do some plants blossom even when days are short and gray?

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology have found the answer to this question: An endogenous mechanism allows them to flower in the absence of external influences such as long days. A small piece of RNA, a so-called microRNA, has a central role in this process, as a decline of its concentration in the shoot apex triggers flowering.

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Farmers Care About Trees Too

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Climate Change Could Deepen Poverty In Developing Countries, Study Finds

These maps show projected changes in frequency and magnitude of climate extremes. A Purdue team found that the occurrence and magnitude of what are currently the 30-year-maximum values for wet, dry and hot extremes are projected to substantially increase for much of the world. (Credit: Diffenbaugh lab image)

Urban workers could suffer most from climate change as the cost of food drives them into poverty, according to a new study that quantifies the effects of climate on the world's poor populations.A team led by Purdue University researchers examined the potential economic influence of adverse climate events, such as heat waves, drought and heavy rains, on those in 16 developing countries. Urban workers in Bangladesh, Mexico and Zambia were found to be the most at risk.

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WHO official predicts swine flu ‘explosion’

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How Much Water Are You Really Using?

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Drilling Ordeals Said to Delay Geothermal Project

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Deserts Expand Faster as Earth Brightens

As the world warms over the next century, global deserts could expand by as much as 34 percent, according to a new study, swallowing an area roughly the size of the United States.

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El Nino development slows: Australia

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