Introduction to channel

Plants are everywhere – in our homes, gardens, yards, parks and forests. The world of plants is amazing and diverse – there are more than 400,000 species that have different life forms, plants are found in all habitats.

Plants play a special role in the life of our planet: only plants and certain bacteria (cyanobacteria) are able to convert the energy of the sun into the energy of organic matter. It was cyanobacteria that made oxygen appear in the Earth's atmosphere. Today, it is cyanobacteria and plants together, that keep oxygen levels in the atmosphere suitable for animal life.

Photosynthesis is just one of the processes and can be compared to the tip of the iceberg that represents the capabilities of plants. Plants have a very complex organization of internal structure, processes of cell signaling, regulation of metabolism and development, and interaction with other organisms.

Many food chains in ecosystems begin with plant organisms; plants not only feed animals, but also heal them and provide them with habitat.

On the other hand, plants depend on animals, fungi and bacteria. They are in competition with some of them, and in interaction with others, and have been for hundreds of millions of years.

However, today's human impacts are becoming unsustainable for ecosystem restoration. Many living organisms are disappearing from the face of the Earth, ecosystems are changing, and biodiversity is being lost. Ultimately, this threatens the very existence of human beings on Earth. In the 21st century, scientific progress and an eco-centric worldview can certainly help us find ways for sustainable development in harmony with nature.

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Are the trees in the park ‘Hermitage Garden’ the dancing ones?

In the downtown of Kazan, between Nekrasova and Chapova streets, there is a small park called "Hermitage Garden". Before the Revolution, this area was private and passed from one owner to another. The exact date when it became a park is not known. The park was organized as a central park of the city in the 20 th century due to its convenient location and its beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, the non-central parts of the park are now in a semi-abandoned state. The variety of trees is still great: Norway maple, linden, birch, aspen, poplar, hawthorn, larch. However, these are all old trees and there are very few young trees. There are a lot of box elders in the park. Box elder or ash-leaved maple ( Acer negundo L.) is native to North America. In the 17 th century, the seeds of this species of maple were planted in parks and squares in Europe, and at the end of the 18 th century - in Russia as a rapidly growing ornamental tree. However, in the 20 th century the box elde...

Flower of the sun - Helianthus

The choice of the first object for a post is usually a difficult one, but in this case I had no doubt. It is the "flower of the sun", Helianthus (in Greek "helius" means sun, "anthemon" means flower). The bright, large flowers of the annual sunflower ( Helianthus annus L.) symbolize sunlight, warmth, peace, and well being. Art with images of the sunflower is full of energy, positivity, and optimism. The other members of the Helianthus genus are also full of the same positivity. In total, there are 60 species in the Helianthus genus, but only two species are used in agriculture. What's the other one? You may have guessed, it is Helianthus tuberosus L. It belongs to the same genus as the annual sunflower. It has many common names: topinambur, Jerusalem artichoke, earth apples, earth pears, and even sunroot. Topinambur and the sunflower were introduced to Europe from North America in the early 16 th century, from areas of what is now southern Me...

Exploring Plants with Alfia

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