Mary Allen
Alders are deciduous trees. They form a genus with about 35 different species. Green alder, gray alder, and black alder grow in Central Europe. The alder is related to the birch.
The special thing about the alders is their roots. They form special nodules that work together with bacteria. Together they convert the nitrogen found in nature so that the alders can use it as fertilizer. The alders can therefore also live where there are too few nutrients in the soil for other plants.
Thanks to this property, alders often appear as the first plants, for example, after an avalanche. That is why they are called pioneer plants. Gray and black alders like to grow on banks or otherwise in damp areas. There are also few nutrients in the soil there.
Alder wood is medium-heavy and easy to work with. In the past, it was primarily used to make charcoal, which was used to make gunpowder. Alder wood is also used for furniture. It is also very suitable for drums and similar rhythm instruments. However, alder wood hardly tolerates moisture. It is therefore not used for front doors or external walls.
In Central Europe, the alders are endangered. A pseudofungus causes its roots to rot. Mushrooms are not really fungi but are more closely related to algae.