We invite you to listen to Prof. Grzegorz Iszkuło’s lecture entitled “Common Mistletoe. Robin Hood or Dracula?”
We are currently observing more and more of the mistletoe. This semi-parasite has adapted well to the environment altered by humans and grows very well in parks or alleys. Global warming also favors mistletoe in its march to the east and north of Europe. However, the species is evaluated very ambiguously by people. Often negatively, by comparing it to Count Dracula, who sucks the life out of trees. But by others it is treated positively, as the Robin Hood of ecosystems. So is the mistletoe a vampire or Robin Hood?
We invite you to listen to Dr. Łukasz Walas’ lecture entitled “Horse chestnut - a relic from the Balkan Peninsula”.
The homeland of the horse chestnut is the Balkan Peninsula. It was most likely brought to Poland by King Stefan Batory as early as the 16th century. Today, natural populations are threatened with extinction due to disease, pests, climate change and human pressure. Winter conditions, especially precipitation, are decisive for the horse chestnut's existence. In situ conservation, enriched with assisted migration, will play an important role in the survival of this species.
We invite you to listen to Prof. Marcin K. Dyderski’s lecture entitled “Invasive plant species - what helps their expansion?”
Biological invasions are one of the main threats to biodiversity and the economy. Their success depends on factors that can be divided into those related to the characteristics of a particular species, the availability of seeds and the characteristics of the environment. On a continental scale, the main determinant of species distribution is climate. Its changes can cause both the loss of the climatic optimum of currently existing species and open the way for others to conquer further areas.
We invite you to listen to Prof. Ewelina Ratajczak’s lecture entitled “Will stressed seeds provide us with a better future?"
We are observing rapid climate changes that cause stress to trees. This is due to the fact that they induce an oxidative stress condition, which lowers the metabolic activity of plant cells. Stressed trees produce stressed seeds, whose viability is reduced. Storing seeds in a way that preserves their viability becomes crucial for safeguarding the genetic resources of tree species and protecting biodiversity in commercial forests.
We invite you to listen to Prof. Ewa M. Kalemba’s lecture entitled “From seed germination to plant formation. The different sides of reactive oxygen species”.
All plants, including trees, go through growth stages. A seed germinates and a seedling is formed, which after many years of vegetative growth will give rise to a tree capable of flowering and producing its own fruit with seeds. Plant functioning is controlled by hormones interacting with reactive oxygen species, which regulate the growth and development of plant organs (roots, leaves, flowers), seed germination, aging and response to stress conditions.
