Scientists have made a very unusual discovery concerning the plants around us.
It turns out that representatives of the flora are able to warn each other about potential dangers.
But that's not all. They, plants, are real liars: they are capable of deliberately misleading their neighbors.
Why do trees and shrubs lie?
This fact became known to the staff of Oxford University.
They discovered that plants often send out false alarm signals to force competitors to expend energy on defense even in the absence of danger.
Scientists say that it is more profitable for plants to deceive their neighbors than to behave like gentlemen, within the framework of altruism.
Since defense mechanisms require a considerable expenditure of resources, in the event of a successful deception the liar plant gains a competitive advantage.
The role of mushrooms
How does communication and, accordingly, deception occur? Through an underground fungal network.
Mycorrhiza connects the roots of many plant species – a kind of information channel.
These mushrooms also help flora representatives exchange nutrients.
Scientists have also discovered that plants produce false signals more often than genuine warnings about real danger.
Hypotheses
The researchers put forward two hypotheses for this behavior.
According to the first, these are involuntary signals that accidentally reveal the state of the plant, like blushing in a person.
Neighboring plants can simply “overhear” these signals.
The second hypothesis is related to the fungal network – it is assumed that fungi, interested in protecting all plants, can transmit alarm messages even when the threat is insignificant.
The scientists' discovery changes the idea of plants as passive creatures.
They are now seen as active creatures that use the opportunities available to them to strategically fight for survival.
It is noted that if it is possible to understand how to control plant signals, this could help create crops that are more resistant to pests and diseases.
