Photoperiodic insensitivity has been the selected trait that allowed cultivation of potato outside its centre of origin, to the northern latitudes of Europe and North America. More than a decade ago, Solanum tuberosum CYCLING DOF FACTOR 1 ( StCDF1 ) was identified as the maturity locus, regulating both above and below-ground maturity traits, also referred to as life cycle length and tuberization onset. Following its identifica...

Genetic gain in potato breeding is limited by the heterozygous tetraploid genome of cultivated potato. Recent efforts to breed potato at the diploid level promise to improve genetic gain and allow more straightforward genetics and introgression breeding. Diploid F1 hybrid potato breeding relies on the ability to create diploid inbred lines via repeated self-fertilization. However, self-fertilization of diploid potato is hamper...

To counteract habitat fragmentation, the connectivity of a landscape should be enhanced. Corridors are thought to facilitate movement between disconnected patches of habitat, and linear strips of habitat connecting isolated patches are a popular type of corridor. On the other hand, the creation of new corridors can lead to fragmentation of the surrounding habitat. For example, heathland corridors connect patches of heathland a...

In the boreal forests of Fennoscandia, over 99% of forest area has been altered by forestry practices, which has created forest with age structures and stand characteristics that differ from primary forest stands. Although many researchers have investigated how forestry affects species abundance, few have assessed how forestry practices affect fitness correlates of species living in altered habitats, and this has negatively af...