Nijmegen, The Netherlands
September 25, 2007
Source:
Radboud University Nijmegen
Recent research from Vidi researcher Josef Stuefer at the
Radboud University Nijmegen reveals that plants have their own
chat systems that they can use to warn each other. Therefore
plants are not boring and passive organisms that just stand
there waiting to be cut off or eaten up. Many plants form
internal communications networks and are able to exchange
information efficiently.
Chat network
Many herbal plants such as strawberry, clover, reed and ground
elder naturally form networks. Individual plants remain
connected with each other for a certain period of time by means
of runners. These connections enable the plants to share
information with each other via internal channels. They are
therefore very similar to computer networks. But what do plants
want to chat to each other about?
Recently Stuefer and his colleagues were the first to
demonstrate that clover plants warn each other via the network
links if enemies are nearby. If one of the plants is attacked by
caterpillars, the other members of the network are warned via an
internal signal. Once warned, the intact plants strengthen their
chemical and mechanical resistance so that they are less
attractive for advancing caterpillars. Thanks to this early
warning system, the plants can stay one step ahead of their
attackers. Experimental research has revealed that this
significantly limits the damage to the plants.
Viruses
However there are two sides to the coin. That is not just the
case for the Internet but also for plants. It appears that plant
viruses can use the infrastructure present to rapidly spread
through the connected plants. The infection of one plant
therefore leads to the infection of all plants within the
network.
This research clearly reveals that the general image of plants
is a poor reflection of reality. Who had now suspected that the
majority of plants around us are constantly internetting?
This research is part of the Vidi project 'Plant Intranets.
Costs, benefits, & risks of communication pathways in clonal
plant networks' that was funded by NWO and the Radboud
University Nijmegen. |
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