Although trees may appear to be silent and still on the outside, they have their own method of communication beneath the soil. Trees “talk” to each other beneath the surface via an underworld system, which offers trees a way to share their resources and signal danger to their neighbors. It is a captivating phenomenon that shows how naturally connected things really are. We will dive deep and explore how trees talk to each other underground in very basic terms that will cover the major aspects; how they do it, why it matters, and some examples.
The Underground Network: The Wood Wide Web
Trees don’t talk like we do, but they connect through a network of tiny threads called mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi grow in the soil and link tree roots together, forming what scientists call the “Wood Wide Web.” It’s like an underground internet for trees!
Here’s how it works:
- Fungi and Roots Team Up: Mycorrhizal fungi attach to tree roots. The fungi get sugars from the trees, while the trees get water and nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, from the fungi. It’s a win-win partnership.
- Connecting Trees: The fungi spread out, linking the roots of different trees. This creates a network where trees can send and receive messages or resources.
This network lets trees share information and help each other, even across species, like a forest community working together.
How Trees Share Resources
One way trees “talk” is by sharing food and water through the fungal network. For example:
- Helping Weak Trees: If a tree is struggling—maybe it’s not getting enough sunlight or watera healthier tree can send it extra sugars or nutrients through the fungi. This helps the weaker tree survive.
- Supporting Young Trees: Big, older trees, often called “mother trees,” send resources to younger trees or saplings. This gives the little ones a better chance to grow strong.
For instance, in a forest, a tall Douglas fir might share sugars with a small sapling shaded by bigger trees. This sharing keeps the forest healthy as a whole.
Warning Each Other of Danger
Trees also use the underground network to warn each other about threats. When a tree is attacked by pests, like insects, or gets sick, it can send chemical signals through the fungi to nearby trees. These signals act like an alarm system.
For example:
- Insect Attacks: If a tree is being eaten by beetles, it releases chemicals into the fungal network. Neighboring trees pick up the signal and start making their own defenses, like bitter chemicals that make their leaves harder to eat.
- Disease Alerts: If a tree is infected by a fungus, it can warn others to prepare their defenses, helping the forest stay strong.
This warning system is like trees shouting, “Watch out!” to protect their neighbors.
Helping the Forest Community
The underground system is not only concerned with individual trees but, instead, supports the entire forest. Trees of different species, whether that might be pines, oaks, or birches, connect through the fungi and are able to work together. This undesirable disrupts the overall strength and resiliency of the entire forest.
For example:
- Diversity Helps: A mixed forest with many tree species is healthier because different trees share different resources. A birch might send nitrogen to a pine, while the pine shares water.
- Balance in Tough Times: During a drought, trees with deeper roots can share water with those that have shallow roots, helping everyone survive.
This teamwork shows how trees act like a big family, looking out for each other.
Examples of Trees Talking
Here are some real-world examples of trees communicating underground:
- Douglas Firs in Canada: Studies in Canadian forests show that Douglas firs share carbon (a type of sugar) with smaller trees through mycorrhizal fungi. This helps young trees grow in shady areas.
- Acacia Trees in Africa: When acacias are attacked by giraffes or insects, they send signals through the soil to nearby acacias, which then produce bitter chemicals to make their leaves less tasty.
- Beech Trees in Europe: In European forests, beech trees warn each other about pests like aphids, using the fungal network to spread the alert.
These examples show that tree communication happens all over the world, in different types of forests.
Why It Matters
The way trees talk underground is important for many reasons:
- Healthy Forests: By sharing resources and warnings, trees keep forests strong. This helps them survive challenges like droughts, pests, or storms.
- Biodiversity: The fungal network supports many species, not just trees. Fungi, plants, and even animals benefit from a healthy forest.
- Human Benefits: Healthy forests give us clean air, store carbon to fight climate change, and provide homes for wildlife. Understanding tree communication helps us protect forests better.
When we cut down trees or harm the soil, we can damage this underground network. Protecting forests means keeping this hidden communication system alive.
How Humans Can Help
To support trees and their underground talks, we can:
- Protect Forests: Avoid cutting down too many trees or harming the soil with chemicals. This keeps the fungal network strong.
- Plant Mixed Forests: Planting different tree species together helps them share resources and stay healthy.
- Learn and Share: By learning about how trees communicate, we can teach others to care for forests and nature.
Challenges to Tree Communication
Sometimes, the underground network faces problems:
- Deforestation: Cutting down trees breaks the fungal connections, making it harder for trees to share or warn each other.
- Pollution: Chemicals in the soil, like from farming or industry, can harm the fungi that trees rely on.
- Climate Change: Droughts or extreme weather can weaken trees and their fungal partners, disrupting communication.
By addressing these challenges, we can help trees keep talking.
A Closer Look at the Science
Researchers have been examining communication between trees for decades and are producing some fantastic results. In the 1990s, researcher Suzanne Simard showed that trees share carbon through fungi in the forests of Canada. She discovered “mother trees” supporting younger trees, ultimately being evidence of trees working together. Other research suggests that chemical signals travel through the fungal network faster than in the air or above ground making the belowground system a faster way to communicate.
The fungi we are talking about here would typically be mycorrhizal fungi such as arbuscular mycorrhizal or ectomycorrhizal. These types of fungi form threads, referred to as mycelium, that link tree roots over much larger areas than the tree would otherwise occupy. Some fungal networks extend across entire forests linking hundreds of trees!
Conclusion
While trees don’t have a language in the conventional sense of the word, they do have an ingenious way of communicating in a different sense, underground, via the Wood Wide Web. Trees are able to share food, warn each other of danger, and support their forest community, by sending various forms of nutrient and signaling information through mycorrhizal fungi. This unseen, often overlooked connection that is shared among trees, shows just how connected and giving nature actually can be. From the Douglas firs in Canada to acacias in Africa, trees facilitate a relationship to support one another in order to survive and thrive.
Understanding how trees communicate highlights why forests are so valuable. By protecting trees and the underground mycorrhizal networks they are connected to, we protect healthy ecosystems that benefit the planet as a whole. So, when you are walking through a forest, remember that underneath your feet, trees are having a quiet conversation and supporting each other in ways we are only just beginning to understand.
