Article by Wizard of Madeira
Scientists confirm that trees communicate through sound — and forests are constantly having conversations humans cannot hear:
Recent research suggests that plants, including trees, can produce ultrasonic sounds under stress, adding a new dimension to plant communication studies. Experiments have shown that plants emit high-frequency clicking or popping sounds when dehydrated or physically damaged. These sounds, which are inaudible to humans, are thought to result from processes like cavitation-air bubbles forming and collapsing within the plant's vascular system. Advanced microphones and machine learning tools have allowed scientists to detect and classify these signals.
The most likely mechanism behind many of these sounds is xylem cavitation, a physical process in which air bubbles form and collapse inside the plant’s water transport system. This connection is not new: earlier work, including a 1996 Journal of Experimental Botany paper and a 2014 Journal of the Royal Society Interface study, showed that ultrasonic acoustic emissions are closely tied to cavitation events and can serve as indicators of water stress in plants and wood. 
What remains less certain is whether these sounds function as communication in an ecological sense. A 2024 Trends in Plant Science article argues that while plant sound production is well supported, claims about plant-to-plant or plant-to-animal communication are still ahead of the evidence and remain speculative. 
However, this field is beginning to move beyond speculation. A recent eLife study found that female moths altered egg-laying behavior in response to ultrasonic sounds emitted by dehydrated plants, suggesting that at least some insects can detect and use these signals. This does not mean forests are “talking” in a human sense, but it does support the broader view that ecosystems may exchange information through more channels than previously understood, including chemistry, mycorrhizal networks, and sound.
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