Latest news with #MonicaGagliano
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
'This should not be published': Scientists throw shade on study claiming trees 'talk' before solar eclipses
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The idea that trees communicate with each other during an eclipse and synchronize their behavior — as has been widely reported recently — is a compelling one. The fascinating idea sprang out of research detecting bioelectric signals in spruce trees (Picea abies) in Italy's Dolomite mountains during a 2-hour-long partial solar eclipse. But many researchers aren't convinced, saying the number of trees studied is tiny and that there are more plausible explanations for the results. Some 6,600 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level, Alessandro Chiolerio, a physicist at the Italian Institute of Technology, Monica Gagliano, an ecologist at Southern Cross University in Australia, and their colleagues attached remote sensors to three healthy spruce trees — two of about 70 years old and the other around 20 years old — and to five tree stumps. The sensors were there to detect electrical currents created when charged molecules travel through the cells of living organisms. "Our results demonstrated that spruce trees exhibited synchronized changes in their bioelectrical activity in anticipation of a solar eclipse," Gagliano told Live Science. "Remarkably, this synchronization began several hours before the eclipse occurred, suggesting not just a passive reaction to darkness but an active, anticipatory response." "The strongest signs of this early response were observed in older trees, hinting at a memory-like capacity linked to their age and environmental history," she said. "This study provides the first evidence that trees in a forest can behave as a coordinated collective system — functioning more like an integrated network than just as isolated individuals." So, what exactly is going on in this work published April 30 in Royal Society Open Science, and how seriously should we take it? "There is strong concern among my colleagues that this paper was published," James Cahill, a plant ecologist at the University of Alberta in Canada, told Live Science. "The paper doesn't meet what I would say are the basic standards needed for science. Its sample size is three, which is very low and they have a super large number of variables that they're testing — over 10 — and you're always going to find a pattern if you do something like that." Related: Tropical tree in Panama has evolved to kill its 'enemies' with lightning Many plants and animals respond to the day-night cycles of light and dark, so plants responding to approaching darkness shouldn't be a surprise, he said. "If you turn off the lights in a greenhouse or at night, every plant will show reduced water transpiration and reduced photosynthesis. Is that coordination?" asked Cahill. This would also alter their bioelectrical signals, and every biological material has bioelectrical signals, he added, so there's nothing fancy in detecting changes to these. It's also unlikely there's an evolutionary survival advantage to responding to an eclipse, Cahill pointed out, given how briefly and infrequently they occur. Instead, he thinks the plants are responding with capabilities that have evolved for a different reason. "It is very easy to imagine that sensory systems evolved for other purposes that are then hijacked in an eclipse. Plants respond to darkness and an eclipse causes darkness. But it doesn't mean that the eclipse caused the response to darkness." And when it comes to the bioelectrical signals changing before the eclipse rather than during it, there's also a simple possible answer, he said. "Plants have elaborate sensory systems for detecting light and a lot of plants can detect UV light and blue light changes and those tend to come first across the horizon. A lot of plants will start changing their photosynthetic machinery before sunrise," said Cahill. "I'm not sure this is anything different." "It's disappointing that this paper is getting so much press because it's just an idea and there's not much here other than assertion," said Cahill. "This could have been replicated, it should be replicated. There's no understanding of why they are focusing on electrical signals instead of the photosynthetic rate. They also didn't compare this to just night and day, which is the obvious thing to do and that's very worrisome to me." Other researchers approached by Live Science said similar things. "I don't think anything can be concluded from an experiment that does not include replicates," Justine Karst, a forest ecologist at the University of Alberta in Canada, told Live Science. Researchers in the field are also skeptical about the idea that older trees responded more strongly. There are three living trees in the study and there are assertions about young versus old, said Cahill, "but they only have one young plant and it's in a different site. And it's not even young, it's 20 years old." Asked about the small sample size, Chiolerio told Live Science how difficult it was to spend whole days working at almost 7,000 feet above sea level to attach sensors to trees when temperatures go down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 15 degrees Celsius). "Due to the complexity of the field setup — monitoring trees 24/7 in alpine conditions — we focused on a small number of carefully selected individuals. Despite the sample size, the data were robust and consistent across trees and sites," said Gagliano. "Still, this is an early study, and we view it as a foundation for broader research." Karst compared the new findings to experimental studies that seemed to reveal a wood-wide web in which trees communicate and share resources via underground networks of mycorrhizal fungi. She was a co-author of work published in 2023 showing that there was insufficient evidence for the idea. "I hoped that after the wood-wide web fell apart, journalists would be more skeptical about research claiming that 'trees talk'," said Karst. RELATED STORIES —Scientists find the best crops to grow during the apocalypse —'Gossiping neighbors': Plants didn't evolve to be kind to each other, study finds —'Alien plant' fossil discovered near Utah ghost town doesn't belong to any known plant families, living or extinct Cahill is in favor of studying plant behavior to probe whether these organisms have cognition — he is doing work in that area himself — but says the level of evidence needs to be very high before claims are made. "How would we test cognition in plants? I'm sympathetic to the idea of a different approach, but papers like this make it really hard to do very strong science in a controversial area," said Cahill. "It's very disappointing because the Royal Society has had a great reputation. But this should not be published." In response to questions about the study's publication, The Royal Society Open Science sent Live Science the following comment. "All research published by Royal Society Open Science goes through thorough peer review before being accepted." They also noted the role post-publication discussion plays in their process. "We encourage academic debate and constructive criticism of the research published in our journals. Any reader is able to submit a comment on research published in Open Science, this will be peer reviewed and published alongside an invited reply from the original authors." Editor's Note: This story was updated at 1:10 p.m. EDT to include comment from the Royal Society Open Science.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- Science
- The Independent
The trees are talking to each other — but only during this time
The trees are talking to each other. But it doesn't happen all the time. They appear to be able to pass down their ecological knowledge from older trees to younger trees, in the event of a solar eclipse, according to scientists. The findings add to researchers' understanding of trees, which officials say are critical to our survival in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. They also add to emerging evidence that the plants participate in their ecosystems. 'Basically, we are watching the famous 'wood wide web' in action!' Monica Gagliano, a professor at Australia's Southern Cross University, said in a statement. Gagliano was one of the lead authors of the study, which was published last month in the journal Royal Society Open Science. During a two-hour-long partial solar eclipse, the authors took to Italy's stunning Dolomites mountains, hoping to understand what effect the event might have on its spruce trees. They had attached remote sensors to three healthy trees. Two of them were about 70 years old and the other was just 20 years old. They also attached the sensors to five tree stumps that had been hit by a storm years earlier. They used the sensors to record the electrical currents the trees generated, leading to shocking results. Charged molecules travel through the cells of all living organisms, transmitting signals as they move. The activity creates electrical currents that allow organisms to communicate. Tracking these signals, the researchers found that the spruces both responded to the eclipse and anticipated it, syncing up their bioelectrical signals hours in advance. The changes were seen inside the water and molecules. The older trees had a more pronounced early response than the younger trees, suggesting the trees may have developed mechanisms to anticipate and respond to such events. But the scientists also detected bioelectrical waves traveling between the trees, although not in the way you might think. The study's framework supports the idea of entanglement among the trees, suggesting the signals are 'coming as a phase synchronization, not based on matter exchanges, e.g., through fluids and molecular exchanges via roots, or by air currents.' However, the researchers say this dynamic is consistent with studies showing long-distance signaling between plants can help them coordinate various physiological functions in response to environmental changes. Changes were also detected in stumps, although they were less pronounced than in the healthy trees. Using computer modeling and analysis, they tested out these findings. What they found supported their results, suggesting a 'cohesive, organism-like reaction at the forest scale.' The results also underscore the importance of protecting the world's old-growth forests, they said. 'We now see the forest not as a mere collection of individuals, but as an orchestra of phase correlated plants,' co-author Alessandro Chiolerio, a professor at the Italian Institute of Technology and University of the West of England, said.
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Networked trees' cosmic connection
The researchers also detected changes in the bioelectric responses of the stumps during the eclipse. Photo: Zenit Arti Audiovisive Earth's cycles of light and dark profoundly affect billions of organisms. Events such as solar eclipses are known to bring about marked shifts in animals, but do they have the same effect on plants? During a solar eclipse in a forest in Italy's Dolomites region, scientists seized the chance to explore that fascinating question. The researchers were monitoring the bioelectric impulses of spruce trees, when a solar eclipse passed over. They left their sensors running to record the trees' response to the eclipse — and what they observed was astonishing. The spruce trees not only responded to the solar eclipse — they actively anticipated it, by synchronising their bioelectric signals hours in advance. This forest-wide phenomenon reveals a new layer of complexity in plant behaviour. It adds to emerging evidence that plants actively take part in their ecosystems. DO TREES RESPOND COLLECTIVELY? The research was led by Prof Alessandro Chiolerio, of the Italian Institute of Technology, and Prof Monica Gagliano, of Australia's Southern Cross University, who is the lead author on this article. It also involved a team of international scientists. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, fully or partially blocking the Sun's light. An eclipse can inspire awe and even social cohesion in humans. Other animals have been shown to gather and synchronise their movements during such an event. But scientists know very little about how plants respond to solar eclipses. Some research suggests the rapid transitions from darkness to light during an eclipse can change plant behaviour. But this research focuses on the responses of individual plants. The latest study set out to discover if trees respond to a solar eclipse together, as a living collective. WHAT THE RESEARCH INVOLVED Charged molecules travel through the cells of all living organisms, transmitting electrical signals as they go. Collectively, this electrical activity is known as the organism's "electrome". The electrical activity is primarily driven by the movement of ions across cell membranes. It creates tiny currents that allow organisms, including humans, to co-ordinate their body and communicate. The researchers wanted to investigate the electrical signals of spruce trees (Picea abies) during a partial solar eclipse on October 25, 2022. It took place in the Costa Bocche forest near Paneveggio in the Dolomites area, Italy. The scientists set out to understand the trees' electrical activity during the hour-long eclipse. They used custom-built sensors and wired them to three trees. Two were healthy trees about 70 years old, one in full sun and one in full shade. The third was a healthy tree about 20 years old, in full shade. Photo: Zenit Arti Audiovisive They also attached the sensors to five tree stumps — the remnants of old trees, originally part of a pristine forest, but which were devastated by a storm several years earlier. For each tree and stump, the researchers used five pairs of electrodes, placed in both the inner and outer layers of the tree, including on exposed roots, branches and trunks. The electrodes were connected to the sensors. This set-up allowed the scientists to monitor the bioelectric activity from multiple trees and stumps across four sites during the solar eclipse. They examined both individual tree responses, and bioelectric signals between trees. In particular, the scientists measured changes in the trees' "bioelectric potentials". This term refers to the differences in voltage across cell membranes. WHAT DID THEY FIND? The electrical activity of all three trees became significantly more synchronised around the eclipse — both before and during the one-hour event. These changes occur at a microscopic level, such as inside water and lymph molecules in the tree. The two older trees in the study had a much more pronounced early response to the impending eclipse than the young tree. This suggests older trees may have developed mechanisms to anticipate and respond to such events, similar to their responses to seasonal changes. Solar eclipses may seem rare from a human perspective, but they follow cycles that can occur well within the lifespan of long-lived trees. The scientists also detected bioelectric waves travelling between the trees. This suggests older trees may transmit their ecological knowledge to younger trees. Such a dynamic is consistent with studies showing long-distance signalling between plants can help them co-ordinate various physiological functions in response to environmental changes. The researchers also detected changes in the bioelectric responses of the stumps during the eclipse, albeit less pronounced than in the standing trees. This suggests the stumps were still alive. The research team then used computer modelling, and advanced analytical methods including quantum field theory, to test the findings of the physical experiment. The results reinforced the experimental results. That is, not only did the eclipse influence the bioelectric responses of individual trees, the activity was correlated. This suggests a cohesive, organism-like reaction at the forest scale. UNDERSTANDING FOREST CONNECTIONS These findings align with extensive prior research by others, highlighting the extent to which trees in forest ecosystems are connected. These behaviours may ultimately influence the forest ecosystem's resilience, biodiversity and overall function, by helping it cope with rapid and unpredictable changes. The findings also underscore the importance of protecting older forests, which serve as pillars of ecosystem resilience — potentially preserving and transmitting invaluable ecological knowledge. This research is featured in a documentary, Il Codice del Bosco (The Forest Code), which premiered in Italy this week. Monica Gagliano is a research associate professor in evolutionary biology, Southern Cross University. Prudence Gibson is a lecturer and researcher in plant humanities, UNSW Sydney.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Older trees tell younger spruces when eclipses will happen, study shows
Older trees send messages to younger spruces before an eclipse, scientists have found. Spruces start syncing their electrical activity 14 hours before the astronomical phenomenon begins, a study of trees in the Italian Dolomites discovered. Italian and Australian scientists detected bioelectrical waves travelling between the trees, suggesting that the 'ancestral memories' about an eclipse were being transmitted between them. Researchers picked up on the phenomenon while using sensors to monitor the bioelectrical patterns of spruce trees in the Costa Bocche forest near Paneveggio. 'What we found was quite incredible and in a way unexpected,' said Prof Monica Gagliano from Southern Cross University in Australia. 'We had an eclipse event passing through the site while we were recording and monitoring the trees and we observed something that we see in animals but have never seen before in plants, a synchronisation behaviour. 'All the trees that we were monitoring ended up having the same behaviour and the same bioelectrical signature coming out during the eclipse event. 'Older trees were the ones that started the signal first, 14 hours before the eclipse even arrived and they were the ones to send a message to all the others, especially the young ones that potentially never experienced an event of this kind and allowed everyone to synchronise as one.'She added: 'We went from individual trees to see the activity of the forest as one entity and then everyone came back and did whatever they wanted after the eclipse was done.' Most species are sensitive to light, having evolved to take advantage of the 24-hour cycle of day and night which drives circadian clocks inside cells. Animals can also adapt their behaviour to astronomical events, with many marine animals, particularly corals and invertebrates like worms, synchronising their spawning with the full moon. During an eclipse, birds stop singing, cattle return to their sheds and horses cluster together, shaking their heads and tails. But these animal changes are driven by the fall in light. Researchers say the trees cannot be sensing changes in light, so have theorised they may be picking up tiny gravitational changes, or even have memory of previous eclipses. Older trees exhibited the most anticipatory activity. Prof Alessandro Chiolerio, of the Italian Institute of Technology, said: 'There are two options we could not totally exclude: they could sense gravitational perturbations connected to the astronomical event; or they could have a memory of previous eclipses, occurring with a periodicity of 18 years.' All cells in living organisms communicate and coordinate using tiny currents of electricity which is collectively known as an 'electrome'. For the study the team placed electrodes in two trees of about 70 years old, one in full sun and one in the shade as well as a 20-year-old tree in full shade. They also attached the sensors to five tree stumps. They found the activity of all three trees – and even the stumps – became significantly more synchronised around the eclipse – both before and during the one-hour event, with the two older trees having a much clearer early response. It lasted for about 17 hours after the event. Scientists do not know why the trees appear to sync but believe it could be to reassure each other during periods of change. Many animals huddle together collectively during eclipses. Long distance signalling between plants has already been recorded in scientific literature, with trees in forests often using fungal and root networks to transmit information about threats, a phenomenon dubbed the Wood Wide Web. This 'underground internet' for trees enables them to transfer water, nutrients and chemical signals. Prof Gagliano added: 'This is a very remarkable example of the Wood Wide Web in action. 'This signal was coming from the older trees to the younger ones which, without being warned of an event like an eclipse, might have been suffering from hydraulic dysfunction which meant they could have dehydrated and died of thirst. 'It reinforces that old trees cannot simply be replaced by replanting but they need to be protected because they hold ancestral memories that allow for resilience and adaptation in a state of climate change.' The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
30-04-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Older trees tell younger spruces when eclipses will happen, study shows
Older trees send messages to younger spruces before an eclipse, scientists have found. Spruces start syncing their electrical activity 14 hours before the astronomical phenomenon begins, a study of trees in the Italian Dolomites discovered. Italian and Australian scientists detected bioelectrical waves travelling between the trees, suggesting that the 'ancestral memories' about an eclipse were being transmitted between them. Researchers picked up on the phenomenon while using sensors to monitor the bioelectrical patterns of spruce trees in the Costa Bocche forest near Paneveggio. 'What we found was quite incredible and in a way unexpected,' said Prof Monica Gagliano from Southern Cross University in Australia. 'We had an eclipse event passing through the site while we were recording and monitoring the trees and we observed something that we see in animals but have never seen before in plants, a synchronisation behaviour. 'All the trees that we were monitoring ended up having the same behaviour and the same bioelectrical signature coming out during the eclipse event. 'Older trees were the ones that started the signal first, 14 hours before the eclipse even arrived and they were the ones to send a message to all the others, especially the young ones that potentially never experienced an event of this kind and allowed everyone to synchronise as one.' She added: 'We went from individual trees to see the activity of the forest as one entity and then everyone came back and did whatever they wanted after the eclipse was done.' Most species are sensitive to light, having evolved to take advantage of the 24-hour cycle of day and night which drives circadian clocks inside cells. Animals can also adapt their behaviour to astronomical events, with many marine animals, particularly corals and invertebrates like worms, synchronising their spawning with the full moon. During an eclipse, birds stop singing, cattle return to their sheds and horses cluster together, shaking their heads and tails. But these animal changes are driven by the fall in light. Researchers say the trees cannot be sensing changes in light, so have theorised they may be picking up tiny gravitational changes, or even have memory of previous eclipses. Older trees exhibited the most anticipatory activity. Prof Alessandro Chiolerio, of the Italian Institute of Technology, said: 'There are two options we could not totally exclude: they could sense gravitational perturbations connected to the astronomical event; or they could have a memory of previous eclipses, occurring with a periodicity of 18 years.' All cells in living organisms communicate and coordinate using tiny currents of electricity which is collectively known as an 'electrome'. For the study the team placed electrodes in two trees of about 70 years old, one in full sun and one in the shade as well as a 20-year-old tree in full shade. They also attached the sensors to five tree stumps. They found the activity of all three trees – and even the stumps – became significantly more synchronised around the eclipse – both before and during the one-hour event, with the two older trees having a much clearer early response. It lasted for about 17 hours after the event. Scientists do not know why the trees appear to sync but believe it could be to reassure each other during periods of change. Many animals huddle together collectively during eclipses. Long distance signalling between plants has already been recorded in scientific literature, with trees in forests often using fungal and root networks to transmit information about threats, a phenomenon dubbed the Wood Wide Web. This 'underground internet' for trees enables them to transfer water, nutrients and chemical signals. Prof Gagliano added: 'This is a very remarkable example of the Wood Wide Web in action. 'This signal was coming from the older trees to the younger ones which, without being warned of an event like an eclipse, might have been suffering from hydraulic dysfunction which meant they could have dehydrated and died of thirst. 'It reinforces that old trees cannot simply be replaced by replanting but they need to be protected because they hold ancestral memories that allow for resilience and adaptation in a state of climate change.'
