In the latest issue of “Kórniczanin” (No. 17/2025, pp. 14–15), an article from the series “News from the Kórnik Gardens” has been published under the title “The Whisper of the Forest – Can Trees Communicate?”. The authors – Tomasz Grześkowiak, Ewelina Ratajczak, and Hanna Fuchs present current scientific insights into the remarkable communication strategies of trees. The paper describes how trees exchange information through chemical signals, electrical impulses, and underground mycorrhizal networks connecting their roots. Such interactions enable them to warn one another of potential threats, share resources with younger seedlings, and even cooperate across species. The article portrays the forest not as a collection of isolated organisms, but as a dynamic and interdependent community, where silence conceals a constant and complex dialogue of life.
„Echa Leśne” to kwartalnik przyjaciół lasu, który ukazuje się od 1924 roku. W tradycyjnym papierowym wydaniu dostępny jest bezpłatnie w siedzibach wszystkich nadleśnictw Lasów Państwowych, w ośrodkach edukacyjnych, szkoleniowych i wypoczynkowych LP, w siedzibach parków narodowych, oddziałach Polskiego Towarzystwa Turystyczno-Krajoznawczego oraz schroniskach młodzieżowych.
Aktualny numer oraz numery archiwalne (od 2012 r.) w wersji elektronicznej można znaleźć tutaj: https://www.lasy.gov.pl/pl/informacje/echa-lesne.
Zachęcamy do przeczytania całego numeru, szczególnie zaś felietonu prof. Andrzeja M. Jagodzińskiego pt. „Dudki, dëtczi i bejmy”. Tekst nawiązuje do dłuższego artykułu red. Agnieszki Niewińskiej pt. „Z leśnym wsparciem mogą więcej”, zamieszczonego w tym samym numerze (3/2025). Miłej lektury!
The latest issue of Kórniczanin (No. 16/2025, p. 14) features an article from the series News from the Kórnik Gardens entitled Oxidative window – the boundary between life and death of seeds. Its authors – Aleksandra Setecka, Hanna Fuchs, and Ewelina Ratajczak – present the fascinating world of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Although they are mainly associated with cell destruction, in plants they also perform a signaling function, triggering the germination process. The so-called “oxidative window,” i.e., the range of ROS concentrations that determines whether a seed will come to life or die, is of key importance. This knowledge has great practical significance – it allows for a better understanding of both seed storage and the mechanisms of plant germination in the garden, in the field, or in the forest.
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- Written by: Daniel J. Chmura, Marzenna Guzicka
- Category: Popular science article
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The issue of “Kórniczanin” (No. 15/2025) in the series “News from the Kórnik Gardens” featured an article entitled “Why is birch white?” by Prof. Daniel J. Chmura and Dr. Marzenna Guzicka from the Institute of Dendrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The text answers the question: where does the characteristic color of birch bark come from? The authors present both folk tales and scientific explanations related to the presence of betulin, a chemical compound that gives the bark its white color and protects the tree. The article also reveals the fascinating world of bark—its structure, protective functions, and importance in nature and for humans.
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- Written by: Andżelika Drozda
- Category: Popular science article
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The latest issue of Kórniczanin (No. 14/2025) features an article by Dr. Andżelika Drozda entitled Plant Epigenetics – the green art of survival, part of the series “News from the Kórnik Gardens.” The text reveals the extraordinary strategies of plants, which, despite lacking a brain or immune system, are able to effectively ward off attacks by pathogens. Epigenetics plays a key role here – a system of molecular “switches” that determine gene activity. Thanks to them, plants not only respond to viruses, bacteria, and fungi, but also remember previous infections and pass this knowledge on to their offspring. The article shows how the invisible world of epigenetic mechanisms supports plant survival and immunity.