Trees Talk To Each Other. 'Mother Tree' Ecologist Hears Lessons For People, Too

Trees are "social creatures" that communicate with each other in cooperative ways that hold lessons for humans, too, ecologist Suzanne Simard says.  Trees are linked to neighboring trees by an underground network of fungi that resembles the neural networks in the brain, she explains. In one study, Simard watched as a Douglas fir that had been injured by insects appeared to send chemical warning signals to a ponderosa pine growing nearby. The pine tree then produced defense enzymes to protect against the insect.  "This was a breakthrough," Simard says. The trees were sharing "information that actually is important to the health of the whole forest." - NPR