Woods Are Alive!

When you think of trees in a forest, you might think that they’re quietly standing there. But did you know they can do much more than that? Let’s take a closer look at the secret world of trees. The more you learn about them, the more amazed you’ll be by their hidden wonders.

Trees Stay Connected: The Wood Wide Web

People use the Internet — the World Wide Web — to connect with others and share information. Interestingly, trees have their own version: it’s often called the Wood Wide Web. Through their roots and small fungi in the soil, trees send signals and help one another. If one tree is in trouble, it sends out a signal. Noticing the signal of the tree in trouble, trees nearby respond. For example, when a tree lacks water, other trees may share water through their roots.
Older trees can even help young trees grow. When young trees cannot get enough sunlight, they make fewer nutrients. The older trees can share the nutrients they make to help the young trees. So the next time you walk in a forest, remember that the trees are working together to stay strong.

Trees Defend Themselves

You might think trees can’t do anything when they’re attacked by animals or insects. But actually, they have their own ways of protecting themselves. Some trees make their leaves bitter or even poisonous, and others send out strong smells.
Acacia trees in Africa, for example, make their leaves taste bitter when giraffes start eating them. They also warn other trees that they are in danger. They send out a certain type of gas to nearby trees, and those trees make their leaves bitter, too. Another example is eucalyptus trees. They release strong-smelling oil from their leaves. This oil can keep away insects and animals that might eat the leaves.

Trees Remember

Humans can remember what happened in the past and use those memories to change what they do in the future. But what about trees? Can they remember? In their own way, yes. Remembering past events, trees can change how they grow to stay alive.
Here’s an interesting example. If a tree lives through a dry season, it remembers how hard it was to find water. The next time the dry season comes, the tree can react better. It might make its leaves smaller to lose less water or make them thicker to save more water. It might also grow its roots deeper to find underground water. The longer the dry season lasts, the deeper the roots may grow. In these ways, what trees remember helps them survive.