adaptation

adaptation

Articles & Photos

12
A Cuban vine "communicates" with bat pollinators by emitting an echo through its acoustically-designed leaves. Scientists say the plant is the nocturnal analog of bright flowers that attract visually-oriented pollinators.
Common in alpine gardens, the purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) is a small flowering plant that has been discovered growing in record-setting grueling conditions, including the arctic tundra of the Swiss Alps, which is one of highest (and coldest) altitudes in the world.
In South Africa's coastal grasslands, to explore a forest is to walk along its canopy—indeed, it's the only way to observe an extraordinary group of so-called underground trees, where only the uppermost leaves and branches are visible. Tucked away and protected from so many environmental threats, they underground forests are considered all but immortal, with estimated ages of 13,000 years or more.