In the last decade the botanical world has had an unparalleled media flourish. Suzanne Simard’s idea of the “wood wide web”, that is, entire forests connected through a dense underground fungal network that carries sugars and warnings, has been very successful. Books such as “The Secret Life of Trees” by forester Peter Wohlleben, with 3 million copies sold, have become bestsellers. And they tell of trees that feel pain, communicate with each other and even have memories and feelings. Among mother trees and socialist forests, the idea has also made its way that plants are intelligent, implementing fine strategies such as recruiting ants to free themselves from parasites or imitating other species to deceive predators. After decades of “plant blindness”, we now look at them as if they were like us: always connected, willing to collaborate, sentient and sensitive. How much science is behind these claims? Where does science end and its spectacularization begin? Are we willing to protect the otherness of plants and forests or do we need to anthropomorphize them to “see” them? We talk about it with Paola Bonfante, professor of plant biology at the University of Turin. At the microphone Francesca Buoninconti Ideas that have taken root Tags: Francesca Buoninconti, Paola Bonfante, botany, wood wide web, mycorrhizae, plant intelligence, plants, centuries-old trees, internet of plants, forests, fungi, mycology, In the last decade the world botanist has had unparalleled media coverage. Suzanne Simard’s idea of the “wood wide web”, that is, entire forests connected through a dense underground fungal network that carries sugars and warnings, has been very successful. Books such as “The Secret Life of Trees” by forester Peter Wohlleben, with 3 million copies sold, have become bestsellers. And they tell of trees that feel pain, communicate with each other and even have memories and feelings. Among mother trees and socialist forests, the idea has also made its way that plants are intelligent, implementing fine strategies such as recruiting ants to free themselves from parasites or imitating other species to deceive predators. After decades of “plant blindness”, we now look at them as if they were like us: always connected, willing to collaborate, sentient and sensitive. How much science is behind these claims? Where does science end and its spectacularization begin? Are we willing to protect the otherness of plants and forests or do we need to anthropomorphize them to “see” them? We talk about it with Paola Bonfante, professor of plant biology at the University of Turin. Francesca Buoninconti at the microphone
29 Apr 2024
