Trees Communicate Underground

Beneath the quiet floor of a forest lies a bustling, hidden network of communication. This subterranean system is formed by a symbiotic partnership between tree roots and mycorrhizal fungi. The fungi, unable to photosynthesize, receive energy-rich sugars from the trees. In return, the vast, thread-like fungal structures act as an extension of the trees' root systems, mining the soil for water and crucial nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen that the trees couldn't otherwise reach. This intricate biological marketplace has been aptly nicknamed the 'Wood Wide Web' by scientists who first uncovered its complexity.

This network does more than just move resources; it acts as a communication line for the entire plant community. Towering 'mother trees,' the largest and most established in an area, can act as central hubs, shuttling excess carbon to struggling seedlings in the understory, including their own offspring. The web can also carry warnings. When a tree is under attack from insects, it can release chemical distress signals into the network. These signals travel to neighboring trees, which can then ramp up their own defensive compounds to prepare for the impending threat, demonstrating a remarkable level of forest-wide cooperation.