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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The beauty of chestnuts (Aesculus sp.)

In the center of Dimitrovgrad, near the Preobrazhensky Orthodox Church, there is a park of Spirituality. The park itself is small, there are benches along the paths, a fountain in the middle, nothing special. The main attraction are the big, tall horse chestnut trees with a powerful spreading crown planted along the perimeter of the park. They are beautiful at any time of the year: in winter - by the imaginative pattern of strong branches, in spring - by the ready to open buds and funny palm-shaped leaves, in summer - by the luxurious flowering of large straight pyramidal inflorescences, in autumn - by their spherical spiny fruits. In October, these fruits ripen and open, spilling out large, shiny brown seeds as if polished by an unknown carpenter. The seeds germinate in the spring and form shoots (see photo). In our latitudes, the horse chestnut blossoms at the end of June. But this year the spring was fast and the horse chestnut gave us its "candles" or "thyrses...

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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