Plants possess extraordinarily complex communication systems that allow them to exchange crucial information about threats and damage, even though they lack senses like sight or hearing.
One of the main ways plants communicate is through an underground fungal network known as mycelium.
This natural connection forms a sort of communication network similar to the Internet, often referred to as the Wood Wide Web. A 2013 study conducted by the University of Aberdeen, the James Hutton Institute, and Rothamsted Research demonstrated that bean plants connected by mycelium can transmit chemical signals to warn nearby plants of aphid attacks. This alarm system activates defensive mechanisms in the surrounding plants, inducing them to produce protective chemicals. In addition to communicating through the soil, plants use airborne signals through volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
When a plant is damaged, it emits these volatile chemical compounds, which spread through the air and reach other plants.
The receiving plants pick up these signals and respond by increasing the production of anti-fungal or anti-insect substances.
Recent studies using fluorescent imaging systems have shown how VOCs influence the concentration of calcium (Ca2+) in undamaged plants, suggesting that these chemical substances can quickly trigger defensive responses. Another fascinating area of research concerns the possibility that plants communicate through sounds. Although some species emit ultrasonic sounds when under stress — studies have shown that plants like tomatoes and tobacco produce crackling sounds audible only at ultrasonic frequencies — the ability of plants to perceive these acoustic signals remains uncertain.
A recent scientific review concluded that, at present, there is no definitive evidence of the use of acoustic channels as a means of communication between plants. Although it may seem like an anthropomorphic idea, it is now evident that plants possess complex systems for exchanging vital information.
These mechanisms allow them to prepare for potential environmental threats or imminent damage, demonstrating that, even without words, the plant kingdom is surprisingly “communicative” and adaptive.
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