Review:
Makes for interesting reading. Full of details presented in clear and engaging manner.
Trees use scent to communicate. It has been noticed that the acacia trees while having their leaves eaten by giraffes gave off a warning gas (ethylene) that signalled to neighbouring trees of the same species that a crisis was at hand. All the forewarned trees pumped toxins into their leaves. The giraffes moved farther away to a part of savannah where they could find trees that were oblivious to what was going on. Or else they moved upwind.
Beeches, spruce and oaks all register pain as soon as some creature starts nibbling on them. The leaf tissue sends out electrical signals. They travel at the slow speed of 8 mm per minute. Accordingly, it takes an hour or so before defensive compounds reach the leaves to spoil the pest’s meal.
Trees can accurately identify which bad guys they are up against. The saliva of each species is different, and trees can match the saliva to the insect. They can release pheromones that summon specific beneficial predators.
Trees can mount their own defence. Oaks carry bitter, toxic tannins in their bark and leaves. These either kill chewing insects outright or produce bitter taste.
Trees warn each other using chemical signals sent through the fungal networks around their root tips.
In the symbiotic community of the forest, not only trees but also shrubs and grasses exchange information. However, when we step into farm fields, the vegetation becomes very quiet, which makes them easy prey for insect pests. Thanks to selective breeding, our plants lost their ability to communicate above or below ground.
Roots are the most important part of a tree. This is where the tree equivalent of a brain is located, as it is suspected that this is where they store their experiences.
Clouds form over the oceans and are blown over land by the wind. The farther inland you go, the drier it is, because the clouds get rained out and disappear. When you get about 700 km from the coast, it is so dry that the first deserts appear. Part of each rainfall is intercepted by the plants and evaporates again. This water vapour creates new clouds that travel farther inland to release their rain. As the cycle continues, water reaches even the most remote areas. The whole process breaks down if the coastal forests are cleared. The fallout is already apparent in Brazil, where the Amazonian rain forest is steadily drying out.
Why the leaves are green? Chlorophyll helps leaves process light. If it was processing the whole spectrum the leaves would be black. However, it cannot use the green colour spectrum, which is reflected back unused and when hits our eyes we can see green leaves. Some trees cannot absorb read colour and that leaves their leaves red, which makes they waste a considerable amount of light’s energy.
Beeches, spruce and oaks all register pain as soon as some creature starts nibbling on them. The leaf tissue sends out electrical signals. They travel at the slow speed of 8 mm per minute. Accordingly, it takes an hour or so before defensive compounds reach the leaves to spoil the pest’s meal.
Trees can accurately identify which bad guys they are up against. The saliva of each species is different, and trees can match the saliva to the insect. They can release pheromones that summon specific beneficial predators.
Trees can mount their own defence. Oaks carry bitter, toxic tannins in their bark and leaves. These either kill chewing insects outright or produce bitter taste.
Trees warn each other using chemical signals sent through the fungal networks around their root tips.
In the symbiotic community of the forest, not only trees but also shrubs and grasses exchange information. However, when we step into farm fields, the vegetation becomes very quiet, which makes them easy prey for insect pests. Thanks to selective breeding, our plants lost their ability to communicate above or below ground.
Roots are the most important part of a tree. This is where the tree equivalent of a brain is located, as it is suspected that this is where they store their experiences.
Clouds form over the oceans and are blown over land by the wind. The farther inland you go, the drier it is, because the clouds get rained out and disappear. When you get about 700 km from the coast, it is so dry that the first deserts appear. Part of each rainfall is intercepted by the plants and evaporates again. This water vapour creates new clouds that travel farther inland to release their rain. As the cycle continues, water reaches even the most remote areas. The whole process breaks down if the coastal forests are cleared. The fallout is already apparent in Brazil, where the Amazonian rain forest is steadily drying out.
Why the leaves are green? Chlorophyll helps leaves process light. If it was processing the whole spectrum the leaves would be black. However, it cannot use the green colour spectrum, which is reflected back unused and when hits our eyes we can see green leaves. Some trees cannot absorb read colour and that leaves their leaves red, which makes they waste a considerable amount of light’s energy.
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