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Trees Can Communicate and Share Nutrients Underground

Curated by Surfaced EditorialΒ·Regularly updated

A cross-section view of a forest floor showing intricate glowing fungal threads connecting the root systems of multiple trees

Trees in a forest are connected through vast underground fungal networks called mycorrhizal networks, often called the 'Wood Wide Web.' Through these networks, trees share carbon, water, and nutrients, and even send chemical warning signals about insect attacks.

Why It’s Interesting

It overturns the view of forests as collections of competing individuals. Mother trees actively nurture their seedlings through these networks, and dying trees dump their resources into the network for others. Forests are cooperative communities, not battlefields.

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