Moon Through Spruce - Benjamin Degen, 2023.

American, b. 1976 -

May 2014

Spruce forest near Moscow🌲

An international study has revealed spruce trees not only respond to a solar eclipse but actively anticipate it by synchronizing their bioelectrical signals hours in advance into a cohesive, forest-wide phenomenon. The discovery, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, shows older trees exhibit a more pronounced early response, suggesting these ancient sentinels retain decades of environmental memory and may use it to inform younger trees of impending events. This study adds to the emerging evidence that plants are active, communicative participants in their ecosystems, capable of complex, coordinated behaviors akin to those seen in animal groups. The lead authors are Professor Alessandro Chiolerio of the Italian Institute of Technology and University of the West of England, and Professor Monica Gagliano from Southern Cross University, Australia. "This study illustrates the anticipatory and synchronized responses we observed are key to understanding how forests communicate and adapt, revealing a new layer of complexity in plant behavior," said Professor Gagliano. "Basically, we are watching the famous 'wood wide web' in action."

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