The previous incredible post was contributed by tree lover, Mike Gold. Coincidentally I came across this information that he had sent to me sometime ago which, I believe, bears sharing:
By the way, I heard the most fascinating info on trees the other day… about how trees don’t just compete with each other, but help each other. Here’s something from the blog, The Nature in Us…
As it turns out, the true law of the jungle is cooperation. What goes on beneath the forest floor is essential to the forest itself. Tree roots gather water and nutrients from the soil. In addition, fungi live among the roots, feeding off the sap and other carbon compounds produced by the tree. In return, the fungi help make nutrients in the soil available to the tree.
The picture of cooperation goes even further than this. Researchers have learned that the trees themselves cooperate with one another. This cooperation even exists between species. Researchers shaded some trees, leaving others in the sun. Tagging trees with different isotopes of carbon, scientists were surprised to find carbon compounds made by the sunbathed trees present in the shaded tree! The trees that were doing well were helping the trees that were not able to photosynthesize, even if they were a different species.
Thanks Mike!
Treewhispers 