Plant Intelligence: How Plants Think, Defend Themselves, and Protect Their Land

PLANT INTELLIGENCE

Plant intelligence is increasingly the focus of studies and research that confirm its significance and uncover new surprises. Foreword: if by intelligence we mean what is necessary, even decisive, to solve problems, and this definition seems correct, then we can say that plants, all plants , are intelligent. Very intelligent: one more reason not to waste them and, if anything, to value them. "Plants are a model so different from others that, compared to them, all the alien forms imagined in science fiction films are nothing more than cute children's fantasies," writes neurobiologist Stefano Mancuso in a book entitled Plant Revolution (Giunti editions), which defines, with an impressive amount of stories and details, the central role of the plant world in the future of a more sustainable planet and less destructive with respect to its natural resources, the environment, and the quality of life. Thanks to their underground parts, their roots, and more, trees, for example, are able to assess all the characteristics of a landscape with great precision. And from here their function becomes strategic, precisely to protect that territory.

HOW PLANTS THINK

Plants think. Scientific research is crossing a new frontier, full of surprises, to explore the boundary between the animal and plant kingdoms. For example, plants demonstrate an extraordinary ability to sense and react to various environmental variables : light, water , temperature, soil structure and toxic substances, microbes. Thus, some scientists have discovered that the tips of plant roots, in addition to sensing soil moisture and gravity, also perceive chemical signals from other nearby plants. And when they realize they are about to encounter an insurmountable obstacle or a toxic substance, they change direction before coming into contact with it. Thought drives them toward a form of survival and self-protection.

READ ALSO: Plants in the office improve employee well-being and increase productivity

At the Sant'Anna School in Pisa, another study on plant intelligence focused on how plants react to low light, such as on cloudy days. In this case, photosynthesis produces little sugar, creating a problem in the plant 's metabolism that is very dangerous for its very survival . So how does the plant react? It simply stops producing growth hormones, thus saving sugar consumption, and instead concentrates the little sugar it does receive on disease defense. It's as if the plant, through the elaboration of a thought, chooses to protect itself between the possibility of stopping its growth and avoiding disease . And its intelligence leads it toward the former.

ODORS EMITTED BY PLANTS

Finally, research is moving toward the study of plant odors. The question is: are they random, or do they have meaning? Is the scent of jasmine, basil , or freshly cut grass, which seems so sweet to us, the chemical equivalent of a scream ? The answer from some scientists is yes, plants do react to humans destroying their natural habitat. Even through their smell . When threatened, they release specific volatile chemical compounds to warn other members of their own species.

HOW PLANTS TALK TO WARNING OF DANGER

Plants , even in times of danger, don't communicate with words but by releasing specific chemicals that alert other plants to the threat. This occurs especially when attacked by parasites, pathogens , and certain insects. This form of communication is called "open channel" and represents a valid defense against potential external attackers.

HOW PLANTS FEEL

Can plants listen to us? There's currently no scientific evidence to prove it, but several experiments conducted over time have attempted to demonstrate that they understand our words, being influenced by them in either a positive or negative way.

These theories have not been scientifically validated. What has not been ruled out, however, is that plants possess mechanical receptors capable of detecting certain vibrations. This is demonstrated by an experiment conducted on pea plants by the University of Western Australia, which found that their roots can detect vibrations from water sources.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR OUR LIFE TO PROTECT TREES?

• Home pollution: how to combat it, even with the right plants
• Trees adopted by neighborhood residents: agreements are multiplying in Italy. Hurray!
• Tree-lined cities: the 5 most beautiful in the world. With dreamy avenues, parks, and gardens (Photos)
• Walking among the trees eliminates stress and reduces the risk of depression.
• Trees talk, preserve, argue. Just like us humans: and how much they resemble us... (Photo)