The hidden life of trees

1. It starts with a personal experience, an investigation to find under moss, beech bark like stones. Vestiges of a giant 4-500 year tree stump. How was it alive? it must be getting assistance. The surrounding beeches were pumping sugar to keep the ancient one alive. Interdependence. Forests much like ant colonies all connected, like a social network. below ground, as above searching for light.

2 language. Communicate through scent. Eg when attacked pump toxins to repell. Like caterpillars eating leaves. chemical alarm call. Oaks carry bitter toxic tannins. Willows salisilic acid. Also warn through chemical networks via fungi. Suzanne Simmard.

3. Social security. The rate of photosynthesis same for all trees. Yet Equalisation going on through roots. Fungi act as massive redistribution systems. trees packed together healthier. Nutrients and water shared and supported. Common practice to thin out in woodland not necessarily beneficial. No long a single closed unit.

4 love . (I love the way he opens the chapter ) the leisurely pace in which trees live their life applies to their sexual reproduction. Before they bloom decide together when to bloom. Mast years and old phrase when osks and beaches set seed. Years of plenty, including plenty for wold boars. Insects and wind. Wind blows powdery blossom. Conifers take no beak from blooming unlike beach and oak. How to avoid self pollinating / inbreeding. Diversity key to success. He bird cherry check pollen, if same then route blocked. Willow secretes scent to attract bees.

5 tree lottery. Budget strength. Like planning to reproduce. Oak and beach not every year. The year they do, energy starch to blossoms, less leaves. weak defences insects take advantage. 30,000 beach nuts every 2-3 years due to climate change. 1 will make it. Poplar sexually mature at 80 years to 150 year. Assuming 400 years that’s 1.8 million . I will make a tree. Good odds. Poplar 54 million every year. Stick out air mail. Still only one winner.

6. Number of nodes correspond to each year. Depends on sunlight. In forest about 3% – minimal. Light deprecation. Slow growth. Connected to mother tree.

Forest etiquette

8 Tree school. Without moisture food production (photosynthesis) ceases. mature tree 130 gallons a day potential. Tree stockpiles winter water. Eg spruce, in areas of abundant water, spoilt, splits at trunk, bark. It has to react. Learns to ration water. Dr Monica Magdalena Australian scientist. Water droplets first closed then learned not harmful. If trees thirsty they began to scream! Vibrations.

9 united stand divided fall. Fungi correspondence. Every tree fight for light, then water, nutrients. Trees first on barren land before animals which feed on. Fungi neither animal nor plant. Do not photosynthesise. Twice as much phosphate and nitrogen in trees that share resources via fungi. The network.