Maxwell Helmberger

Maxwell Helmberger: microplastics in ecology

Maxwell Helmberger
Maxwell Helmberger

Microplastics—tiny plastic beads, fragments, and fibers released from personal care products, plastic waste, and laundering of synthetic fabrics—have long been understood to contaminate the ocean. Only recently have scientists learned they’re also prevalent in the soils human society depends on.

In our latest Insight, Maxwell Helmberger of Michigan State University talks about his new Review paper: Towards an ecology of soil microplastics, and what led him to write it.

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Jenn Rudgers SEV3 - photo by Kate Cunningham

Jennifer Rudgers: answers from long-term data in the drylands

In this post, Jennifer Rudgers, Professor of Biology at University of New Mexico and the current Director of the Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research Program in New Mexico, talks about her recent paper, Sensitivity of dryland plant allometry to climate, and the importance of long-term data.

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Anna Abrahao in the campos rupestres.

Anna Abrahão: rocks, roots and resiliance

In this post, Anna Abrahão, of the Universität Hohenheim, Germany, talks about how plants – and people – set roots on rocky terrain. About the paper Our paper is about plants that grow on rock outcrops in a very nutrient-poor ecosystem in mountaintops of Brazil called campos rupestres. Theseplantshave incredible roots that allow them to dissolve rock and mine phosphorus. We called these roots vellozioid … Continue reading Anna Abrahão: rocks, roots and resiliance