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- Category: Climate for biodiversity
We invite you to listen to Dr. Hanna Fuchs’s lecture entitled “Genetic basis of seed longevity”.
In the face of climate change, gene banks uphold the biodiversity of the plant world. Seed viability loss is one of the biggest problems of such places. Therefore, at the Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, we are interested in the genetic basis of seed longevity. Knowledge of these mechanisms can give us the tools to influence seeds to achieve tolerance to desiccation and extend their storability.
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- Category: Climate for biodiversity
We invite you to listen to Dr. Teresa Hazubska-Przybył’s lecture entitled “Somatic embryogenesis as a way to preserve the biodiversity of forest tree species”.
Trees of forest species are characterized by a wide spectrum of biodiversity. Its preservation at the genetic level is possible, for instance, by using one of the methods of micropropagation - somatic embryogenesis. Although this method is used primarily in the production of economically important crops, it can also be used to preserve the valuable gene resources of forest trees, especially in times of intense climate change.
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- Category: Climate for biodiversity
We invite you to listen to Prof. Tomasz Pawłowski’s lecture entitled “Climate and tree seed germination.”
Environmental conditions are critical factors controlling seed germination. One of the adaptations to unfavourable conditions is the phenomenon of dormancy, which allows plant germination and development to be coordinated with the environment. This property is essential for species continuity and the preservation of biodiversity. Trees have genetically adapted to the local climate and habitat in terms of the depth of dormancy and seed germination. Climate change can disrupt this balance and determine the survival of trees.
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- Category: Climate for biodiversity
We invite you to listen to Prof. Paweł Chmielarz’s lecture entitled “Forest in the freezer or in a test tube?”
Genetic resources are usually stored as desiccated seeds, at negative temperatures in gene banks. But what if the seeds are intolerant to desiccation or the plants fail to develop seeds? Then one preserves small tissue fragments in liquid nitrogen that, after defrosting, can be used to cultivate complete plants via in vitro cultures. Can dying old oak trees be cloned 'in glass' to preserve their gene pool? A prerequisite for the success of any method is to understand the biology of the seeds and to recognise the potential for micro-propagation of species.
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- Category: Climate for biodiversity
We invite you to listen to Dr. Błażej Wójkiewicz’s lecture entitled “Genetic variability and adaptive potential of forest tree populations”.
Rapidly advancing climate change is responsible for intensifying stressful stimuli in the natural environment. Forest trees that fail to adapt to the new environmental conditions will perish under progressive natural selection. The genetic diversity of the individuals that make up a population of trees of a particular species will be a major determinant of whether or not it survives in a particular area. Monitoring and preserving the genetic resources of forest tree populations can be critical to their survival in their current habitats.
