It has been known for many years, now, that plants are able to communicate with each other. Certain trees, for example, release chemicals into the air when under attack from parasites or under other forms of stress. In fact, when certain plants are attacked by insects, they can release chemicals that attract other insects - which each the original invaders!
New research published this week now shows that plants also communicate with each other via their root systems. Israeli researchers exposed garden pea plants to drought conditions. What they found was that these plants communicated the danger to nearby plants, causing those neighboring pea plants to close their leaves, thus conserving water.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-study-shows-plants-talk-through-the-roots-1.417723
The more we learn about animal and plant behavior and interaction, the more we blur the line between human-only attributes and all other living creatures on Earth.
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