Birch trees can sense their own weight

In a new study, researchers discovered an interesting piece of information that birch trees can sense their own weight.

Research evidence shows that birch trees have grown in a special way to support a heavy load when growing continuously . However, the mechanism of why birch trees can do so remains a mystery.

'The idea of ​​plants feeling their own weight and thickening their trunks is the first study that addresses this question,' said researcher Juan Alonso-Serra, from the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University Helsinki, said.

Birch is one of the few plants that can flower after six months.

More specifically, researchers at the University of Helsinki, Cambridge University and the Finnish Institute of Natural Resources have studied a balance mechanism for radial growth of tree trunks with an increase in weight . The team tested this reaction, called vertical ownership on birch trees .

Birch is one of the few species that can flower after six months, compared to several decades for other plants, so they are an option for research.

In the journal Current Biology, the researchers observed adjustments in the trunk diameter of the birch as they sought to adjust its aerial weight. The strength of this reaction varies along the length of the trunk.

An important element of the study was to compare normal birch with a type of mutation in natural birch called Elimäki . Instead of being aware of its size, the Elimäki grows upright for three months until the trunk suddenly bends at the base, causing the tree to collapse.

The failure of these mutant plants to adjust their stem diameter with increasing weight made them unstable.

"A major challenge in research is that it takes almost a decade until they flower and we need them to create a quick offspring to separate gene mutations and study them , " Alonso said. -Serra commented on the importance of using birch trees for their research.

1. Birch (Betula platyphylla) - Beautiful tree