Do Trees Have Their Own Internet?
Sort of. Fungi can form underground networks that connect the roots of different trees.
Scientists call them common mycorrhizal networks. The internet calls it the Wood Wide Web.
Apparently, the forest has Wi-Fi, and nobody gave us the password.
Related Rabbit Holes
Wait. Are Trees Sending Each Other Messages?
Before you imagine an oak tree posting about the suspicious squirrel in its branches, we need to talk about fungi.
Many fungi grow threadlike structures that connect with tree roots. The fungi get sugars from plants, while the plants can gain access to nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.
Sometimes one fungal network connects multiple trees. Researchers have documented movement of substances between connected plants under some conditions.
But hereâs where the internet got carried away.
Claims that trees routinely send each other warnings, feed their babies, or deliberately support their neighbors through these networks go beyond what scientists have firmly established.
How common these transfers are, whether they help the receiving trees, and what the networks mean for forests are still being studied.
So no, we havenât discovered trees running Facebook underground.
Which is probably for the best. Imagine getting a friend request from poison ivy.
The fungal connections themselves are fascinating enough without making them into a forest group chat.
Further Reading