In the sixth issue of the annual magazine of Andros EVANDROS the alder forests of Andros were presented.
ALDER
A northern european in the Cyclades
A tree that is quite common in Central and Northern Europe which, even though in the olden days it covered large flooded areas, now it is found mainly along river banks. Ιt arrived in Andros by land when it was still attached to the mainland and it survived mainly due to the plentiful water of the island. Andros is the southernmost part of the Balkans where one can find it forming small clusters along streams, but also small forests, like in Vori.
Well known in Northern lands, it has been linked to several myths and prejudices: it was the favourite tree of the druids and it was considered as the entrance to the Land of the Fairies. It has been used in the tanning of leather and in dyeing of fabrics producing an abundance of colours, while on his “body” the whole city of Venice has been built and supported.
As a tree that prefers areas that are flooded or saturated with water, it has impressively adapted to live under these conditions. Its seeds are waterproof and they have “wings” made out of cork so they can travel with the water. Its wood is particularly resistant to moisture, while what is impressive is that it has developed symbiotic relationships with micro-organisms so it can prosper. Bacteria create small nodules on its roots, they bind the nitrogen of the air and supply it to the tree, while the tree offers sugars, produced during photosynthesis, to the bacteria.
This is only a small part of the wonderful underground world of the alder forests, where trees, bacteria and fungi interact and create whole symbiotic networks, exchanging nutrients and information, transmitting signals and creating shields for the protection of their neighbours. Without these, each organism on its own wouldn’t be able to survive. The human eye can only, apart from the trees, locate a ephemeral above ground part of this network: mushrooms, i.e. the organs that produce and disperse the spores of the fungi. Mushrooms of the genus Paxillus, Gymnopus and Naucoria grow under the trees, with some of them making a delicious meal. It is worthwhile to wander in an alder forest in Andros, to enjoy the freshness it offers, to search for mushrooms and to enjoy a different
scenery.
The article as it was presented in EVANDROS is available here.