Beneath forests lies a vast fungal network connecting trees like an underground internet, enabling nutrient sharing, chemical signaling, and climate regulation. This hidden infrastructure sustains forest health and offers revolutionary potential for agriculture and conservation.
Crown shyness is the mysterious phenomenon where trees maintain visible gaps between their canopies, creating fracture patterns of light in forest ceilings. Scientists now understand it results from wind-induced collisions, light sensing through photoreceptors, and possibly chemical signaling—trees actively detect neighbors and adjust growth accordingly. These gaps serve as natural firebreaks, reduce pest and pathogen spread, and create light mosaics that boost understory biodiversity. Surpri...
Loading featured articles...