Media invitation: How do trees “communicate”? Discover the interdisciplinary research of a new Centre of Excellence

Event: ACE-Forest Centre of Excellence – Beyond Academia event

Date: Tuesday, 12 May 2026, 9:00–10:30

Location: Finnish Meteorological Institute, Dynamicum building, Erik Palménin aukio 1, Helsinki. Directions to the Finnish Meteorological Institute

At the event, the research will be presented through project presentations, demonstrations, and a photo exhibition. Media representatives will have the opportunity to meet researchers and learn more about how forests adapt to environmental change and how the results may influence forest management and conservation.

Programme:

• Natural Chemistry project, Professor Juha-Pekka Salminen, University of Turku
• Poly A: rediscovering the value of letters and forest insects project, Docent Oksana Skaldina, University of Eastern Finland
• Demonstration: How plants breathe and why it matters for our future, Professor Tan Phat Huynh, Åbo Akademi University
• Living lab: “Silent Tree: is it really true?!”, Docent Oksana Skaldina, University of Eastern Finland

Presentations will be held in English.

After the presentations, participants are welcome to explore the photo exhibition “Forest neighbours in the Anthropocene: communication.”

Registration:

Please register by 8 May at 15:00 via email: kaisa.ryynanen@fmi.fi.

ACE-Forest Centre of Excellence

Launched in early 2026, the ACE-Forest Centre of Excellence investigates how trees send and receive chemical signals. The research examines both volatile and non-volatile compounds through which trees can warn neighbouring trees about threats, respond to insect herbivores, attract insects that provide protection, and adapt to environmental change.

The aim is to understand communication networks in forest ecosystems and how they influence forest health, resilience, atmosphere–biosphere interactions, and biodiversity. Many of these processes remain poorly understood, particularly at the scale of entire forest ecosystems.

The Centre of Excellence brings together experts from five Finnish research organisations: the University of Eastern Finland, the Natural Resources Institute Finland, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Åbo Akademi University, and the University of Turku. The interdisciplinary team includes ecologists, chemists, atmospheric scientists, and entomologists.

Key researchers include Professor Juha-Pekka Salminen, Docent Minna Kivimäenpää, Docent Jorma Joutsensaari, Senior Researcher Hao Liqing, Docent Heidi Hellén, Senior Researcher Delia Pinto, Professor Tan Phat Huynh, and Professor James Blande, who serves as the CoE Research Director.

The work is carried out within the Research Council of Finland’s Centre of Excellence Programme, which supports long-term collaboration among leading research groups tackling complex scientific challenges and producing ground-breaking results.