New research: Trees also have 'www' networks to communicate

Research has shown that beneath the ground of every forest there is a complex network of roots, fungi and bacteria that help connect trees and plants together. This underground social network is nearly 500 million years old known as the "wood wide web".

The "wood wide web" network of trees

Most trees and plants depend on mycorrhizal fungi for vital nutrients. Trees wouldn't be able to survive without a huge network of fungi operating underground.

When out of sight, microscopic myceliums spread throughout the earth, like an underground Internet, helping to connect plants and trees together, DW Television said.

Trees can use this "wood wide web" system to exchange water, nitrogen, carbon and other nutrients, or even receive advance warning of threats.

According to ecologist Thomas Crowther (ETH Zurich University, Switzerland) and a member of the team of scientists who developed the first global map of the "wood wide web", the mycorrhizal network has been around for almost a year. 500 million years ago. They act as a "brain of the forest", keeping the entire ecosystem fresh.

He explains: "Trees have a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal fungi that creep around and dig deep into their roots. Plants pass carbon on to their fungal counterparts, in return they receive nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen that fungi take from the soil".

In addition, plants also use this vast underground network of fungi to interact with each other. They transfer information, nutrients, sugars, and water to the other plants in the system that need it most.

"Trees that are struggling with nutrients will often be supported by the 'wood wide web'. The fungal network will redistribute nutrients to struggling plants or areas with a lot of insects. harmful," said Mr. Crowther.

When the seedlings are connected to the network, they can be pumped with nutrients and water from the more mature plants. This helps them develop and improve resilience in the face of stress.

When plants are dying, they can also use the network to transfer their nutrients to neighboring plants.

Trees can also receive early warning signals about threats through the "wood wide web" if "neighbors" are under attack. For example, when attacked by aphids and caterpillars, plants actively produce defensive chemicals to protect themselves.

Mycorrhizal networks support ecosystems and make forests resilient. They are also huge carbon sinks, keeping CO2 locked underground.

However, agricultural expansion, pollution from chemical fertilizers and deforestation are putting these microbial networks at risk.

According to the United Nations, about 178 million hectares of forests - three times the size of France - have been lost in the past three decades. When the tree is cut down, the fungus in the ground is also destroyed.

The researchers found that logging can reduce the abundance of mycorrhizal fungi in the ground by up to 95 percent.

According to Crowther, increased temperatures associated with climate change could also cause fungi to "potentially release carbon into the atmosphere", leading to further global warming.

Mycorrhizal fungi have provided the basis for life on Earth for millions of years. By disrupting the complex "wood wide web" that form underground, we are also endangering the very existence of creatures and our own.