Talk is cheap: rediscovering sounds made by plants

Nardini, Andrea; Cochard, Hervé; Mayr, Stefan

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.023

Trends in Plant Science

2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.11.023

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Talk is cheap: rediscovering sounds made by plants

Andrea Nardini,

Hervé Cochard,

Stefan Mayr

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2024

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Cited by 3 publications

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The sound of lichens: ultrasonic acoustic emissions during desiccation question cavitation events in the hyphae

Boccato,

Petruzzellis,

Bordenave

et al. 2024

Journal of Experimental Botany

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Lichens are a mutualistic symbiosis between a fungus and one or more photosynthetic partners. They are photosynthetically active during desiccation until relative water contents (RWC) as low as 30% (on dry mass). Experimental evidence suggests that during desiccation, the photobionts have a higher hydration level than the surrounding fungal pseudo-tissues. Explosive cavitation events in the hyphae might cause water movements towards the photobionts. This hypothesis was tested in two foliose lichens by measurements of ultrasonic acoustic emissions (UAE), a method commonly used in vascular plants but never in lichens, and by measurements of photosystem II efficiency, water potential and RWC. Thallus structural changes were characterised by low-temperature scanning electron microscopy. The thalli were silent between 380% and 30% RWCs, i.e. when explosive cavitation events should cause movements of liquid water. Nevertheless, the thalli emitted UAE at approximately 5% RWC. Accordingly, the medullary hyphae were partially shrunk at about 15% RWC, whereas they were completely shrunk below 5% RWC. These results do not support the hypothesis of hyphal cavitation and suggest that the UAE originate from structural changes at hyphal level. The shrinking of hyphae is proposed as an adaptation to avoid cell damage at very low RWCs.

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The sound of lichens: ultrasonic acoustic emissions during desiccation question cavitation events in the hyphae

Boccato,

Petruzzellis,

Bordenave

et al. 2024

Journal of Experimental Botany

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Is plant acoustic communication fact or fiction?

Son,

Jang,

Mathevon

et al. 2024

New Phytologist

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SummaryIn recent years, the idea has flourished that plants emit and perceive sound and could even be capable of exchanging information through the acoustic channel. While research into plant bioacoustics is still in its infancy, with potentially fascinating discoveries awaiting ahead, here we show that the current knowledge is not conclusive. While plants do emit sounds under biotic and abiotic stresses such as drought, these sounds are high‐pitched, of low intensity, and propagate only to a short distance. Most studies suggesting plant sensitivity to airborne sound actually concern the perception of substrate vibrations from the soil or plant part. In short, while low‐frequency, high‐intensity sounds emitted by a loudspeaker close to the plant seem to have tangible effects on various plant processes such as growth – a finding with possible applications in agriculture – it is unlikely that plants can perceive the sounds they produce, at least over long distances. So far, there is no evidence of plants communicating with each other via the acoustic channel.

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New insights into a sensitive life stage: hydraulics of tree seedlings in their first growing season

Beikircher,

Held,

Losso

et al. 2024

New Phytologist

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Summary The first year in a tree's life is characterized by distinct morphological changes, requiring constant adjustments of the hydraulic system. Despite their importance for the natural regeneration of forests and future vegetation composition, little has been known about the hydraulics of tree seedlings. At different times across the first growing season, we analysed xylem area‐specific (Kshoot_Axyl) and leaf area‐specific (Kshoot_L) shoot hydraulic conductance, as well as embolism resistance of three temperate conifer trees, two angiosperm trees and one angiosperm shrub, and related findings to cell osmotic parameters and xylem anatomical traits. Over the first 10 wk after germination, Kshoot_Axyl and Kshoot_L sharply decreased, then remained stable until the end of the growing season. Embolism resistance was remarkably low in the youngest stages but, coupled with an increase in cell wall reinforcement, significantly increased towards autumn. Contemporaneously, water potential at turgor loss and osmotic potential at saturation decreased. Independent of lineage, species and growth form, the transition from primary to secondary xylem resulted in a less efficient but increasingly more embolism‐resistant hydraulic system, enabling stable water supply under increasing risk for low water potentials.

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Talk is cheap: rediscovering sounds made by plants

Cited by 3 publications

References 53 publications

The sound of lichens: ultrasonic acoustic emissions during desiccation question cavitation events in the hyphae

The sound of lichens: ultrasonic acoustic emissions during desiccation question cavitation events in the hyphae

Is plant acoustic communication fact or fiction?

New insights into a sensitive life stage: hydraulics of tree seedlings in their first growing season

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