On the communication of plants – what happens above the ground?
Abstract
Communication exists in all forms and levels of life; therefore, plants do also communicate, which has been of interest for plant biologists for a long time. Modern methods developed in the last 30-40 years made it possible to investigate this phenomenon more closely. Plant communication means the transfer of information between plants or plants and other organisms in their environment. It can happen between individuals of the same or different species and it covers also the exchange of cues between the plants and their microbial pathogens, insects or even symbiotic partners. Its most frequent tool, i.e. the „language” of plants is the excretion and sensing of different organic volatiles. In the present study, we cover the function and perception of organic volatiles and the factors disturbing it. We present the early results of plant acoustic sensing or hypothesized acoustic communication.
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