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For the first time in two decades, researchers in British Columbia identified a new carnivorous plant; Triantha occidentalis! This carnivorous plant grows in nutrient-poor, boggy but brightly lit areas on the west coast of North America, from California to Alaska. The delicate flower stalk of Triantha occidentalis might seem like a nice perch for insects. However, the sticky hairs on the flower stalk means certain death as the plant ensnares passing prey and absorb its nutrients with the help of digestive enzymes it secretes. This plant is unique in that it traps insects near its insect-pollinated flowers, showing a careful balance of carnivory and pollination. Only smaller insects like midges are captured while larger and stronger pollinators like bees and butterflies can escape from its sticky trap. The discovery of the plant in this well-studied eco-system shows that there are more surprises yet to be discovered in nature.

On a remote Australian island, researchers have found the first evidence of division of labour among plants similar to the social organisation of ant or bee colonies. Groups of wild Platycerium bifurcatum (staghorn ferns) on trees displayed differences in structure and reproductive capacity depending on its position in the tree; whether it is higher or lower in the canopy. The ferns at the top have erect antler-like fronds that gathered and channelled water to waxy basal fronds that let water drip down to ferns below. Ferns positioned higher in the tree also have more spore-bearing fronds. Ferns lower in the canopy tended to have antler-like fronds that hung downwards, absorbent basal fronds that efficiently trapped water and were usually sterile. This level of cooperation and division of labour was once thought to be restricted to insects and animals, but now appear to exist among plants!

In the Dutch city of Utrecht, 7 tiny forests of about 200 square meters each were planted to promote urban cooling, water regulation, and boost biodiversity; as a nature-based solution to the environmental challenges brought on by climate change. These forests were planted with native species planted close together for a short rejuvenation period as saplings grow quickly to compete for light, water and nutrients. This idea for close forest planting was pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. The Netherlands has since planted 144 forests and aims to plant their 200th forest by the end of 2021. Since 2018, 636 animals such as hummingbirds, frogs and an additional 298 plant species to the original species were observed in these tiny planted forests.

Since the rediscovery of Margaritaria indica in 2012, researchers in Singapore have found another two mature trees on Kusu Island and Bukit Brown. Pollination is the bottleneck of reproduction for this dioecious species where male and female flowers are produced on different trees. The discovery of viable seeds from the tree in Bukit Brown is an indication that both male and female individuals are around. There is renewed hope for species recovery efforts to safeguard the future of this species in Singapore. With this latest discovery, propagation trials for this critically endangered species are currently under way.

Researchers in France found that 450 million years ago, plants moved from the aquatic to terrestrial environment with the help of fungi. The team demonstrated that the non-vascular bryophyte (Marchantia paleacea) possessed genes that facilitated the sharing of resources like lipids with fungi, very much like the symbiotic relationships present day vascular plants have with fungi. This suggests that the common ancestor of vascular and non-vascular plants also had similar genes that allowed the transfer of resources which eventually led to the successful colonisation of land.

Scientists from ETH-Zurich and the University of Hawaii found that coffee pulp sped up restoration of exploited land in tropical regions. A post-agricultural plot in Costa Rica covered with 50 cm-thick layer of coffee pulp, the leftover of coffee production that are typically discarded, was transformed into a small forest with pioneer tree species after two years. The coffee-boosted plot had 60% more canopy cover by trees that are 4 times taller than those in the non-treated control plot. The coffee pulp treated topsoil was rich in Carbon and Nitrogen, and the amount of Sulphur, Phosphorus, Iron and Manganese were much higher than the control plot.