communication is key…

wood wide web...

How trees communicate via a Wood Wide Web

'Windy, isn't it?'

A new book, The Hidden Life of Trees, claims that trees talk to one another. But is this really the case? The simple answer is that plants certainly exchange information with one another and other organisms such as insects. Think of the scents of newly mowed grass or crushed sage. Some of the chemicals that make up these aromas will tell other plants to prepare for an attack or summon predatory insects to defend them. These evocative smells could be seen as cries of warning or screams for help.

When plants are damaged by infection or by being eaten, they release a range of volatile molecules into the air around them. After exposure to some of these chemicals, nearby plants of the same species and even other species become less vulnerable to attack, for example by producing toxins or substances that make themselves harder to digest. These changes don't usually happen straight away but the genes needed turn on much more quickly when they are needed.

There is also evidence that the chemicals released by plants in a particular location are subtly different from those released elsewhere by the same species. Consequently, it seems that if plants talk, they even have languages or at least regional accents.

Talking plants?

But is this really communication, as humans understand it? It really isn't clear whether a plant releasing chemicals intends to pass on information to another plant by doing so. I respond to the chemicals released by frying onions but that doesn't mean that the onions are talking to me. So are these really messages or just the opportunist use of chemical information in the environment?

It seems more likely that these signals started out not as a way to send information to other trees but to get messages quickly and efficiently to other parts of the same plant. Pests or infections will often jump from one branch of a tree to the ones closest to it. But a warning telling those branches to prepare for an imminent attack might have to travel most of the way through the tree and then back up it if the message had to move through the body of the plant. This could be a journey of tens of metres in a tall tree.

A signal that can travel through the air, meanwhile, can go directly to the branches closest to the attack. A consequence of these volatile signals, however, is that they can be "overheard" by any plants the chemicals reach. So when other trees respond by also beefing up their defences, is it communication or eavesdropping?

Perhaps it is a bit of both. Maybe an internal messaging system became co-opted to help plants close enough to "listen in" as they would often be related to the tree sending the message in a classic example of evolutionary "kin selection". However, releasing chemicals into the environment is indiscriminate and other plants and organisms can take advantage. Sometimes these chemical "messages" can attract pests or parasites. The smell of crushed sage doesn't protect it from humans, for example … rather the opposite.

Going underground

Not all transfer of information between plants is through the air. The vast majority of plants live in symbiotic relationships with soil fungi. We tend to think of forest fungi as mushrooms and toadstools above the ground but these only pop up after sexual reproduction. The real fungus is a mat of elongated cells spreading through the forest floor.

Fungi: nature's Facebook?

The trees provide the fungi with sugar and the fungi help the tree to gather water and soil nutrients. And many plants can be joined underground by cells of the same individual fungus. Sometimes when one plant suffers damage, other plants connected to it through their soil fungi protect themselves against future attacks while other plants equally near that aren't "plugged in" don't. This fungal network is another carrier for information, a true Wood Wide Web.

But who is in control? The messages are relayed by the fungus and perhaps it is the one really using the information, gathering it from one of its host plants and passing it on to the others to protect its "revenue". The fungus helps the plants to communicate but may do it for its own purposes, and that might include preferentially helping its best producers, whether they are related to the tree sending the message or not. Information intended for family and friends may end up being passed on to unrelated third parties to profit the carrier of the message. In this way, fungi is a bit like a social media company, listening into and benefiting from its users' posts.

So we return to the question of whether any of these examples are communication in the sense that we would mean it. Anything that makes people think more about plants is good, but perhaps making trees seem more like us can lead us to overlook their essential nature. As a slightly hippy student, what attracted me to plant science was the way that trees and other plants fluidly adjust to their environment. Perhaps using the chemicals that reach them to shape their adaptation is just another facet of this. Worrying about whether trees communicate actually says more about us than them.

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trees #communication #funghi

Mantis Shrimp Have a Secret Language That Could Help Advance Human Technology...

Mantis shrimp are one of the coolest animals to ever exist. They have a pair of front limbs that can punch through aquarium glass, and they have some of the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Now there's evidence that they might be better at secure communication than humans. That's because these creatures have their own secret language . Polarized light is created by passing light waves through some kind of filter to make the waves line up in a certain direction or pattern (think polarized sunglasses or camera lenses). But some animals like the mantis shrimp have specialized eyes that can detect the different light waves. Now scientists from the University of Bristol think they're closer to understanding how this light communication works. Mantis shrimp that can reflect regular light back out as polarized light. Nearby mantis shrimp can see the reflected polarized signal and answer back. This secure communication is useful when predators are around. According to the research published Feb. 17 in the journal Scientific Reports, the scientists think it's possible to harness the mantis shrimp technique to develop new types of light polarizers that are commonly used in things like sunglasses, cameras and DVD players. "When it comes to developing a new way to make polarizers, nature has come up with optical solutions we haven't yet thought of," biologist Nicholas Roberts said in a press release. Most polarizers we have now r rely on passing light through a filter like a lens, not simply passing light across a reflector like the mantis shrimp. So studying the animal's biology more closely could lead to improved and simpler polarization technology. [+] [+] [+]

what they really mean...

1. Quivering butt, ready to pounce:

"Experts" say: Cats wiggle back and forth to position themselves for the perfect attack. The truth: Cats have satellite transmitters in their butts and must periodically re-calibrate to receive transmissions from their home planet.

2. Rolling back and forth on the carpet:

"Experts" say: Your cat is showing submission or inviting you to play. The truth: Your cat ate some bad Thai food and is writhing in pain. Stop feeding it so much Pad See Ew.

3. Making squinty eyes at you:

"Experts" say: Cats squint at you when they're content. Slowly closing their eyes at you is a sign of trust. The truth: Your cat's eyes are overly sensitive to the sun and it's squinting because it wants a new pair of Ray-Ban Clubmasters. Get to shoppin'.

4. Raised butt in your face:

"Experts" say: Tail sniffing is normal between felines, and this is your cat's way of saying hello to you. The truth: Your cat just cleaned its butt and wants to show it off to you. Look at that sparkling clean butt and say, "Very nice butt, cat. Good job."

5. Sleeping in a perfect circle:

"Experts" say: Sleeping in a circle conserves body heat. The truth: Time is cyclical, and nobody understands this better than cats. When your cat sleeps in a circle, it's a sign that this world is ending and giving way to a greater, more terrifying universe.

6. "Kneading" with its paws:

"Experts" say: As kittens, cats will knead their mother's stomach to produce milk, and this is most likely a leftover trait from kittenhood. It might also be an instinctual part of settling down to sleep. The truth: Your cat saw an ad for baking classes in the local paper and wants to enroll. Write a check for $350 immediately.

7. Sitting in "cat loaf" formation:

"Experts" say: Your cat tucks its paws underneath it because it feels content and safe, plus it keeps body heat from escaping. The truth: Your cat is annoyed that you didn't enroll it in baking classes and thinks the only way to get your attention is to pretend it's an actual loaf of bread.

8. One leg extended during bath time:

"Experts" say: Your cat is raising its leg to more easily clean itself. The truth: Forget baking classes, your cat wants to learn to play the cello now. It's emulating the act of playing cello to get your attention. Write a check for $8,000 immediately.

9. Showing its belly to you:

"Experts" say: An exposed belly is a sign of trust. The truth: An exposed belly is a trap. Your cat knows you can't resist snuggling its furry belly, at which point it will attack you and feast on your flesh. Beware.

10. Staring off into space, wide-eyed:

"Experts" say: Cats have keen senses, and the smallest movement will catch their attention. They probably saw a bug or a speck of dust. The truth: Evil, skinless demons have crossed into this realm, and only your cat can see them. Run.

11. Sleeping in boxes:

"Experts" say: Cats are drawn to the confined space of a box because it offers security. The truth: Your cat is having a quarter-life crisis and thinks a trip to Mozambique would offer some worldly perspective. Tape up the box, slap on some postage, and mail your kitty to Africa.

12. The "hug 'n' bite":

"Experts" say: Wrestling and biting is a normal part of play for cats. The truth: With its keen senses, your cat has noticed that the government-implanted tracker in your wrist is about to self-destruct and kill you. It must be removed immediately. Try to relax, your cat is attempting to save your life.

13. Chirping out the window at birds:

"Experts" say: Chattering is a reflex motion in anticipation of hunting. The truth: Your cat is actually a bird and wants to hang out with other birds. How did you not realize you bought a bird instead of a cat? You dummy.

14. Sitting on your computer when you need to work:

"Experts" say: Cats like warm places, and your laptop is warm. The truth: Your cat knows how many times a day you creepstalk your ex, and has decided it's time for an intervention.

15. Nowhere to be found, no matter how hard you look:

"Experts" say: Cats are good at hiding. Maybe he's under your bed? The truth: Cats are time travelers. Yours is probably in feudal China right now. Don't worry, he'll come home soon (maybe).

proper giudance...

KLF communications...

interspecies communication

smoke signal