Trees Interact with Their Environment—Part 2

Trees are like any other living entity, in that they interact with their environment in many ways. A tree must deal with threats and respond to advantageous events, as well as cooperate with other trees—all in a process of contributing to a healthy ecosystem. All of this in an attempt to strive to prosper, at least until it successfully procreates; which is the goal of all life on Earth—all possess a drive to perpetuate their species.

Trees intimately connect with each other—both through their root systems, and by pheromones and other chemicals that they release into the air. Their root connections form vast underground structures that are equal in size and mass to what we see above ground. Collectively, a grove of trees form a kind of interdependent superorganism—much like an ant or termite colony, in which every member plays a cooperative role in the wider ecosystem.

The complex interconnections between trees—both through their roots and by exchanging airborne chemicals—allow them to cooperate in resisting invasions of herbivores; both insect and mammal. When attacked, a tree will quickly send chemicals coursing through its trunk and limbs, that spoil the taste of its leaves. It will also emit chemicals into the air that float to neighboring trees—warning them to similarly defend themselves. Sometimes a tree will excrete pheromones into the air, to attract beneficial insects to prey on its invaders. Human-cultivated plants do not possess these defenses, so farmers often turn to insecticides.

Trees signal surrounding members of their same species to coordinate the simultaneous release of seeds. If they all set free their seeds at the same time, the abundance ensures that some seeds will survive hungry mouths. I have written before of the masting process of oaks, wherein all of them drop an extraordinarily massive crop of acorns every few years, in a cooperative manner. Acorn lovers such as squirrels and deer cannot possibly eat them all, thus securing a good crop of oak seedlings the following year.

Trees grow a trunk only as strong as needed—saving energy to put into foliage. In a forest, trees depend on each other for mutual support, to withstand winds. If a few trees in a stand are logged, the others will suffer because they may not have strong enough trunks; or due to the new access to sunlight, which can upset a tree's balance between its trunk and its foliage. A healthy forest depends on a healthy balance between all of its members—forming a vast, interconnected web of life.