How does the sound of a dead tree sound like?

When faced with drought, plants produce special sounds due to the formation of air bubbles in the wood circuit.

How is the sound of the tree dying?

In vascular plants, plants transport water from the soil onto leaves through a vein (xylem). The structure of the wood circuit consists of a set of successive cells, forming long tubes along the trunk. When water supplies to plants become dry, plants must create a stronger attraction to absorb water. If the plant pressure is greater than the interaction between water molecules in the vein, the water column will be broken and form air bubbles . This process creates a distinctive sound , typical for plants that are dying.

Trees that are dying will create a special sound.(Photo: iStockphoto)

Australian Agriculture Department scientist Kim Ritman made the recording 30 years ago. He uses a device that includes a telephone receiver and audio amplifier. Ritman poked the trunk to record the crack when the bubble formed. The results show that the larger the circuit, the smaller the cry.

"Our hypothesis is proven, larger water pipes produce negative signals at lower frequencies. Smaller water pipes can produce ultrasonic waves ," ABC Science quoted Ritman as saying.