Jan 18, 20201 min read

Did you know: Trees Talk To Each Other 🎥

When walking through a lush forest, have you ever wondered what is going on beneath the surface? Do trees have a secret life?

Being amongst rows of living wood in a forest the eye is often drawn upwards to their expanding crowns; but the real action is taking place underground, just a few centimeters below our feet. There is now a substantial body of scientific evidence that proves trees are interconnected. It shows that trees of the same species are communal, and will often form alliances with trees of other species. Forest trees have evolved to live in cooperative, interdependent relationships, maintained by communication and a collective intelligence similar to an insect colony.

Two decades ago, while researching her doctoral thesis, ecologist Suzanne Simard discovered that trees communicate their needs and send each other nutrients via a network of latticed fungi buried in the soil - in other words, she found, they “talk” to each other.

Trees share water and nutrients through the networks, and also use them to communicate. They send distress signals about drought and disease, for example, or insect attacks, and other trees alter their behavior when they receive these messages.” Scientists call these mycorrhizal networks. (A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and a plant. The term mycorrhiza refers to the role of the fungus in the plant's rhizosphere, its root system. Mycorrhizae play important roles in plant nutrition, soil biology and soil chemistry. Wikipedia)

Trees contribute to their environment by providing oxygen, improving air quality, climate improvement, conserving water, preserving soil, and supporting wildlife. During the process of photosynthesis, trees take in carbon dioxide and produce the oxygen we breathe.

We highly recommend to watch the following video, where ecologist Suzanne Simard explains that: "A forest is much more than what you see," she says. Her 30 years of research in Canadian forests have led to an astounding discovery - trees talk, often and over vast distances. Learn more about the harmonious yet complicated social lives of trees and prepare to see the natural world with new eyes.

How trees talk to each other (18:24)