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Evidence of tree communication
According to research by Dr Suzanne Simard, Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia, trees can communicate with each other through an expansive network of fungi, allowing nourishment to be passed from one tree to another. (Simard, 2018)
Mycorrhizal networks are mutually beneficial relationships between fungi and tree roots, where the fungi extend their very fine mycelia (root-like threads) into the soil, boosting the growth of the tree and allowing trees to communicate with and nourish each other, spanning vast areas.
Research has found that "mother trees" act as central hubs to facilitate the communication of information and resources between trees. A remarkable discovery is that mother trees can supposedly remember past stress events, such as drought or insect attacks, and adjust their future responses by warning nearby trees through chemical signals – allowing the entire forest to become more resilient over time! (Beiler et al., 2009)
Trees can recognise their own species through the tips of their roots, and may nourish their own (and close relations) more than others – a case of "Arboreal Nepotism"! This preferential behaviour has been observed in Norwegian Pines. (Daily Mail, 1 September 2020)
Dr Simard and associates founded the Mother Tree Project to show evidence for the idea that forests are deeply interconnected systems, with trees forming kin relationships with their genetic relatives.
As a result of mycorrhizal networks, trees are more likely to thrive when planted in groups,
Arguments against the idea
While most scientists acknowledge that these underground networks facilitate the transfer of chemicals between trees, some have noted that the idea may be exaggerated or overly likened to human/animal behaviour, drifting away from the scientific reality.
Lincoln Taiz, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, finds Dr Simard's research fascinating and outstanding, but argues that each root and fungal filament acts only by automatic genetic programming, and there is no evidence that spatial interactions between trees are intentionally or purposefully carried out. (Smithsonian Magazine, 2018)
The late paleontologist Richard Fortey was concerned that the anthropomorphism of the "mother tree protecting its little ones" could lead people to mistakenly see trees as sentient beings.
"Trees do not have will or intention. They solve problems, but it’s all under hormonal control, and it all evolved through natural selection." (Smithsonian Magazine, 2018)Justine Karst, a mychorrizhal ecologist at the University of Alberta, believes there is not enough solid evidence to prove the existence of trees communicating through fungal networks, and that the existing studies found "suggestive evidence" in a handful of species, but were not based on definitive tests. (Scientific American, 2023)
Melanie Jones, Professor Emerita in Biology at the University of British Columbia, points out that fungal hyphae can grow independently after connections are severed, so genetic matches are not proof that networks connect trees in the wild. Supposedly, fewer than 20% of controlled experiments show seedlings doing better when connected. (Scientific American, 2023)
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