Articles

Articles

The plant world had their Internet millions of years before we did! In their world the communication infrastructure is called proto-cooperation. Ours is called the world-wide-web.

In the natural world there is no language barrier as with us humans. This note may just start us wondering why we never noticed “talking trees” before.

Some quick reference points before we contemplate ‘talking trees’…

Plants form communities of the same or different compatible species, which act in consort with each other for mutual benefit. Trees form root unions by grafting on to one another and then start to communicate by trading nutrients with each other.

Different trees and plants have different root systems in terms of depth – the deeper roots of one particular tree is able to reach down and collect minerals from the earth that others may not. This root grafting allows trees with different root structures to ‘hold hands’ with each other and swap nutrients among each other.

Sometimes – depending on the extent and quantity of different minerals, etc. Trees will ‘barter’ excesses with each other. A mutual benefit society that creates difficult times for newcomers finding the necessary food sources. Trees do not hold hands with newcomers!

Some trees are thieves and simply latch onto a bigger tree, grab the root and take what it needs without offering anything back.

The biggest scientific wonder comes when we start understanding the way trees will ‘hear’ the emergency calls of a nearby tree under stress because it is being grazed on by animals, and the community quickly increases its content of toxic and unpalatable chemicals called allelochemicals. These act against the browsing animal. Tannin is one such chemical and reduces the animal’s tendency to eat a particular food source – especially in times of drought.

So trees tell each other when an animal is browsing on the community – all trees defend themselves by listening to the chemical reaction of the tree that is being eaten. But how – through the connected root system?

No, trees talk to each other because of the following.
Mycorrhizea. Fungi, the unsung heroes in the plant world. Fungi produce microscopically fine filaments formed from single celled chains. These form a harmonious mutualistic union between the plants and the soil environment.
Mycorrhizal filaments penetrate plant systems and help plants collect essential minerals as well as helping with nitrogen fixation. In exchange plants provide essential sugars required by the mycorrizae.

This is how the communication highway among trees and plants is formed – this is how trees ‘talk to each other’