Las w życiu człowieka zawsze pełnił wiele funkcji. Początkowo był miejscem egzystencji, w miarę rozwoju cywilizacyjnego stawał się źródłem dochodów. Obecnie racjonalne zagospodarowanie i ochrona ma zapewnić jego trwałość. Funkcje lasu są związane z działalnością człowieka na określonych obszarach. Początkowo wydzielano tereny, gdzie można było pozyskiwać określone użytki (polować na zwierzynę, zbierać zioła, runo leśne – jagody i grzyby, drewno na opał, hodować pszczoły, wypasać zwierzęta domowe itp.). Wraz z rozwojem cywilizacji, gdy las stał się dobrem dochodowym jego eksploatacja przebiegała bardzo intensywnie. Znaczne obszary zostały wylesione, co negatywnie zaczęło wpływać na środowisko. Wówczas zaczęto wydzielać pewne tereny leśne, które miały pełnić nowe – ochronne funkcje. W pracy przedstawiono niektóre z funkcji pełnionych przez lasy na przestrzeni kilku wieków ich eksploatacji i zagospodarowania. Wraz z postrzeganiem roli lasu dla środowiska i życia człowieka zaczęto wydzielać obszary, którym przydzielano określone funkcje związane z użytkowaniem (kiedy lesistość była jeszcze znaczna, a las zaczął przynosić wymierne korzyści) lub ochroną (na obszarach o niskiej lesistości, gdzie obecność lasu łagodziła negatywne wpływy czynników klimatycznych).
Wheat germin is a homopentameric 125 kD glycoprotein mainly localized in the cell wall of monocots, and is a specific marker of the onset of growth in germinating seeds. The major objective of this study was to examine the expression and oxalate oxidase activity of two wheat germin isoforms: gf-2.8 and gf-3.8 in transgenic tobacco plants. The transgenic tobacco plants were created with different constructs: 1) one entire excision of gf-2.8 germin promoter and two partially deleted promoter sequences were used to generate 3 independent GUS constructs; 2) the whole gf-2.8 gene construct and the fusion with CaMV 35S promoter; 3) one entire excision of gf-3.8 germin gene and one partially deleted gf-3.8 promoter sequences were used to generate 2 independent GUS constructs; 4) the whole gf-3.8 gene and the fusion with CaMV 35S promoter. Hormonal treatment (auxin and gibberellin), salt treatment, heavy metals (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, As) and Al induced high GUS activity in tobacco transformed with entire and one partially deleted of the gf-2.8 gene. The immunoblotting confirmed induction of gf-2.8 gene and its product expressed oxalate oxidase activity in tobacco transformed with the entire gf-2.8 construct. Neither nicotinic acid, salicylic acid, heat shock, cold nor UV-C have enhanced significant GUS activity and germin gf-2.8 synhesis and activity. The germin gf-3.8 constructs with GUS gene and with the entire gf-3.8 sequences gave non-positive response with factors mentioned above. It has been demonstrated that gf-3.8 germin isoform is present as a monomer (Mr 25 kD). The non-active gf-3.8 protein is synthetised in transgenic tobacco plants only under control of the CaMV 35S promoter. Consequently, among two germin isoforms, only the gf-2.8 protein seems to be regulated by hormonal, salt and heavy metal factors. The gf-2.8 oxalate oxidase activity could be then involved in general stress-induced signalling in plant.
Current forest protection related to the economic use of natural resources is compatible with the modern understanding of nature conservation as a whole – protection of ecosystems, biodiversity, natural and anthropogenic processes occurring in nature. It is also consistent with the principles of sustainable development. Forest protection is governed by a number of legal acts. Historical reasons underlay this diversity. The historical background of the emergence of protective forests intertwines with the history of forestry, strongly dependent on the economy of the region. In the Western Europe, forest management was strongly correlated with the development of mining, which needed significant quantities of wood to strengthen underground constructions and the development of a metallurgical industry based on wood as an energy material. Forestry was to ensure uniformity in the supply of wood, which was beginning to be scarce in more densely populated industrial areas. In Poland and other countries with a subsequent development of an economy based on mining industry, forestry was based on the rational use of renewable forest resources, but slightly different reasons for the development of conscious forest management. It can be assumed that the forestry of our cultural and economic zone developed in the estates as a way to obtain additional income. This simplified comparison shows the difference of causes and the similarity of the effect – the development of forest management and with it the development of the idea of protecting forests that perform protective functions. The aim of this study is to show the historical background of the existence of protective forests – a special form of protection of natural resources, resulting today with the Act on Forests and occupying over half of the area of the State Forests in Poland. The paper is a review of the historical sources. We describe the evolution of the reasons for which the forests are protected. It was emphasized that this was taking place in parallel or earlier than the decisions resulting from conservative nature conservation. The article is an attempt to prove that protective forests originate from the fear of insufficient forest resources, lack of certain specific forest types at an early stage of settlement.