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144 points PaulHoule | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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calibas ◴[] No.45772824[source]
There's a theory that's been going around for a while that trees were using mycelium networks to communicate via electrical signals. Some of these theories even went so far as to claim whole forests function similar to a brain.

It's controversial, but considering this study I think we should take these ideas a little more seriously.

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whereismyacc ◴[] No.45780050[source]
What would be the evolutionary advantage of this? I know nothing about biology so I'm struggling to see the use of such a network. Some kind of synchronization?
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1. WastedCucumber ◴[] No.45780152[source]
IIRC, communication of threats, exchange of rarer nutrients (this is the main symbiosis trees have with the mycelium anyway), perhaps from healthy trees to needy trees. Solething like that? If I find a source I'll edit this comment.

edit: turns out the Wikipedia page is extensive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhizal_network?wprov=sfla...