@yannickwoudstra
Evolutionary botanist working at Stockholm University, Sweden. My research interests are in the systematics of succulents, conifers, poppies and daisies (Asteraceae); urban ecology and evolution; asexual reproduction (apomixis); and evolutionary genomics.
Devastating to hear that the University of Nottingham is considering suspending its entire Plant Biology curriculum.. Plants are the foundation of our basic needs: food, clean air and water, environmental protection. We need more botanists to safeguard biodiversity! Please sign:
c.org/NL9ypHX7NY
The text at the top reads: “APPS Special Issue Call for Papers: Beyond phylogenomics: Innovative applications of target capture data”. The image beneath the title: On the left side of the image is a large circle divided in two halves: the left side of the circle comprises four images of flowers/herbarium specimens and the right side of the circle contains the text “Target Capture.” Five dotted line arrows point from the large circle to five smaller circles on the right. Smaller circles (clockwise from top): (1) “Off Target”, (2) “Biodiversity assessments”, (3) “Population genomics”, (4) “Evo-Devo”, (5) “Species identification”. The text beneath the image reads: “Proposal deadline November 30, 2025”. The Applications in Plant Sciences logo is in the bottom left corner, and a QR code is in the bottom right corner. Image credit: Yannick Woudstra.
SPECIAL ISSUE CALL FOR PAPERS
#AppsPlantSci invites proposals for “Beyond #phylogenomics: Innovative applications of target capture data,” led by @emcassey.bsky.social, @erikarmoore11.bsky.social, Mafe Torres Jimenez & @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social
Deadline 30 Nov 2025
botany.org/home/publica...
This photo was taken by Solofo Rakotoarisoa, at one of the few remaining wild populations of Aloe fragilis.
We hope that our updated tool can help track the international traffic of Aloe plants better. In doing so, we can hopefully put an end to succulent poaching and reinforce conservation.
Finally, we could identify plants intercepted by customs at London Heathrow airport. Among 10 plants that we screened, we already found one critically endangered aloe from Madagascar... This small aloe is aptly called Aloe fragilis and has been threatened by habitat destruction due to mining.
This database was also used to make a much-needed update to the systematic classification of aloes. Just out in @annbot.bsky.social: academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
This revealed very interesting geographic patterns in the evolution of aloes and made us more confident in identifying these plants.
We then built a big database with >300 species using living collections from botanical gardens, and herbarium collections from large natural history museums. Many thanks to collections @rbgkew.bsky.social, Herbarium East Africa, @mnhn.fr, @thebotanics.bsky.social and many global collaborators!
This was not straightforward in aloes, where species are very similar to each other, in terms of their genomes. We had to use 189 nuclear genes, that can now be sequenced with a customised target capture sequencing kit (doi.org/10.1038/s415...), to reveal useable differences between species.
That is where DNA barcoding comes to the rescue: DNA sequences help us discern patterns that are unique to each species. By comparing DNA sequences from unidentified plants to a verified reference database, we can determine which species the plant belonged to. And whether the trade is illegal.
Thankfully, aloes are protected under the Convention for International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). This means that it is illegal to trade plants across borders without a permit. Some traders still try of course, but how do you proof that they are transporting threatened species?
The conservation status of aloes (and succulents in general) is very worrying. More than a third of all (600+) Aloe species are currently threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction. Illegal international succulent trade is putting further pressure on these plants. It is time to stop this!
Leaves of different Aloe species that were intercepted by customs at London Heathrow Airport. Near-impossible to tell which species they are due to lack of diagnostic morphological characters.
How do you identify plants without flowers, fruits or other diagnostic features? DNA barcoding is your solution! But not all plants are easily barcoded.. I spent several years @rbgkew.bsky.social to develop this for Aloe vera + relatives. Out now in @consletters.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1111/conl...
Very grateful for the collaborations with my former PhD supervisors Olwen Grace and @ninaronsted.bsky.social, tropical succulent horticulturalist Paul Rees, and very knowledgeable Aloe taxonomists Gideon Smith, Ronell Klopper and Solofo Rakotoarisoa!
The production of this immense molecular phylogeny was possible thanks to amazing Aloe collections @rbgkew.bsky.social @thebotanics.bsky.social @nhmdk.bsky.social @mnhn.fr, East Africa Herbarium Nairobi, South African National Biodiversity Institute and many other botanic gardens and herbaria.
You know Aloe vera, and you may have put some on your sunburn last weekend. But what about the other 594 species of Aloe? Read about one of the most diverse succulent plant groups in the world, and how they evolved in @annbot.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1093/aob/... (Advanced Access)
Very grateful to Gerard Shouten and Bart Wernaart
@fontys.bsky.social for this opportunity. And for @stockholm-uni.bsky.social @bolincentre.bsky.social to support me in continuing my urban plant ecology research.
@barbaragravendeel.bsky.social and I contributed a chapter on the potential value of AI in studying urban plant diversity. We discuss the current evidence on urban plant evolution and how AI tools can help trace trends in demographics and phenology. @niooknaw.bsky.social @naturalis.bsky.social
The #Anthropocene is a time of extreme challenges for biodiversity, but also of technological innovations that can help bend the curve. Read all about the hopeful and exciting future in the new book Moral Design & Green Technology. Available now, online and free of access: brill.com/edcollbook-o...
Very nice to publish this with @botsocamerica.bsky.social where fundamental plant science is right at home. Can't wait to further discuss with the botanical community how to tackle these challenging but fun groups of plants.
Identifying allopolyploids from herbarium specimens can be tricky. A common problem working with arctic plant species complexes. Check out our new haplotype distance-based method! Now out in American Journal of Botany doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... @naturvetenskap.bsky.social @stockholm-uni.bsky.social
Still flowering abundantly in Sweden and already spreading millions of seeds elsewhere; now's the time to appreciate the importance of dandelions for biodiversity. Learn to love the king of the urban jungle @uk.theconversation.com: theconversation.com/how-dandelio... @stockholm-uni.bsky.social
On International Plant Appreciation Day, I joined Garden Loops – artists and architects from Sweden tackling plant blindness – for a "Ruderal Walk" in Gothenburg. We explored the beautiful and fascinating plants one can find right on their doorstep: www.instagram.com/p/DIZNF7Us5b... #LetsGoPlants
The king of the urban jungle - The Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.). It’s virtually indestructible but oh so valuable for pollinating insects (80% of the insect food production through its pollen). This plant is my passion for International Plant Appreciation Day! #iamabotanist #LetsGoPlants
Very grateful for the support of Tanja Slotte, Stockholm University and collaborators in getting this project granted. Another three years of research on pollen in asexual systems, very exciting! Can't wait to present this at conferences such as @botsocamerica.bsky.social Botany2025 this summer.