Trees form woodland communication network

[Brian G Turner]

Trees share nutrients via their roots, either directly through touch, or via connecting fungi. The research highlights the impact how carbon could be recycled in the face of global warming - but I'm more fascinated by the idea that a woodland could in effect be seen as a super-organism:

Trees share vital goodies through a secret underground network

 

[Stephen Palmer]

It wouldn't be a surprise to James Lovelock, who sees all life on Earth as a super-organism (though perhaps not quite in the same way as suggested above).

 

[mosaix]

Thanks, Brian.

'Wood wide web' - very good

I'm continually impressed with the general quality of New Scientist. It should be compulsory reading in UK secondary schools.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

woodland could in effect be seen as a super-organism

They also "communicate" attacks on leaves etc by release of airborne organics which other trees of same species respond to, perhaps by increase of toxins or bitterness in leaves.
Bracken and some other things and some trees are possibly "super organisms" but a "super organism" is more than communications.

 

[Brian G Turner]

In related news, even simple plants have "memories":
Plants may form memories using mad cow disease proteins

So that enchanted wood is not only alive, it remembers...

 

[Brian G Turner]

A piece at the Daily Mail covers these topics and more, from a new book The Hidden Life of Trees:
Do trees have brains and talk to each other?

 

[ErikB]

Trees share nutrients via their roots, either directly through touch, or via connecting fungi. The research highlights the impact how carbon could be recycled in the face of global warming - but I'm more fascinated by the idea that a woodland could in effect be seen as a super-organism:

Trees share vital goodies through a secret underground network

Not just trees. There is a good lot of books and studies conducted over the past two hundred years on plant intelligence, abilities, communication etc.

Two very good books on this are "The Secret Lives of Plants" and "Brilliant Green." But there are more. Its rather fascinating stuff.

Darwin had speculated that plants have an intelligence in their roots rather than their upper structures which are subject to fires, drought, herbivores, pests, etc.

He has been proven correct by a number of botonists and the studies on plants and just how similar they are to animals in many startling ways is really amazing and eye opening stuff.

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I live near the Findhorn Foundation - people communicate with trees all the time

 

[Brian G Turner]

Another interesting piece from New Scientist about plants - this time, about the possibility that some species at least may channel infra-red light into their roots to stimulate growth: https://www.newscientist.com/articl...erground-by-channelling-light-to-their-roots/

 

[Vertigo]

Some of the mechanisms created by evolution never cease to amaze!!!!!