Studying how species diversity influences forest productivity through structural diversity in speciose subtropical forest is crucial for effective ecosystem management and for climate change mitigation. Here, we quantified external structural diversity, an overlooked aspect of structural diversity, showing a much stronger influence than internal canopy structural diversity in the positive species diversity-productivity relationships.

Histomonas meleagridis, the parasite behind histomonosis — also known as blackhead disease — can decimate flocks of turkeys. There are currently no U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines or therapeutics to treat the birds. Danielle Graham, an assistant professor of poultry science for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. and Zhicheng Dou, associate professor in the biological sciences department at Clemson University, were recently awarded $3.2 million over five years from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to support their work in developing insights about disease transmission and potentially finding an existing FDA-approved drug to fight histomonosis. Their preliminary research shows there is potential for a fecal-oral route of transmission via contaminated feces or cecal droppings in the absence of a vector, likely due to the cyst-like formation, which is the focus on the FDA-funded project. The cyst serves as a sort of suit of armor to protect the parasites as they make their way to their target area, where they morph back into a form that allows them to feed and multiply.

In a recent study, researchers investigated the interactions between Pyricularia oryzae, the rice blast fungus, and the beneficial soil bacterium Streptomyces griseus. They found that P. oryzae significantly increased the pH of the growth medium, promoting the growth of S. griseus even without direct contact. These findings highlight the importance of soil microbial interactions, paving the way for development of environmentally sustainable biocontrol strategies for plant diseases.