Scientists explore new concepts of plant behavior and interactions
Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - 10:51
in Biology & Nature
Plants 'talk' to each other through mycorrhizal networks, but can we eavesdrop on what plants are talking about? They can sense chemicals through their roots, but can we sensibly talk about how they 'search' for food? While a lot is already known about plant perception, our ecological understanding of plants has largely focused on seeing plants as the sum of a series of building blocks or traits. A new special issue Using Ideas from Behavioural Ecology to Understand Plants edited by JC Cahill of the University of Alberta, and published by AoB PLANTS gathers researchers who have taken a new approach, theorising plant activity in terms of behaviour.