Plants Use Fungal Networks to Eavesdrop on Neighbors

A study from the University of Oxford challenges the belief that plants actively communicate to warn each other of threats, Earth.com reported. Instead, researchers suggest that plants passively “eavesdrop” on their neighbors through underground fungal networks, known as the “wood wide web.” This network forms from symbiotic relationships between plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi, which exchange nutrients and carbon.

Previous research indicated that when one plant is attacked, connected neighbors often bolster their defenses. However, the new study argues that this behavior may stem from passive cues rather than active warnings. The findings imply that plants can even engage in deceptive signaling to gain competitive advantages.

Lead author Thomas Scott states, “Our results indicate that it is more likely that plants will behave deceptively toward their neighbors.” The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.