Plant Signaling Behavior And Communication

This Special Issue reprint focuses on the exquisite and cognitive plant behaviors emerging from their complex relationship with a constantly changing environment, including the vast network of communications that link plants to other plants and different organisms. More and more evidence has demonstrated that plants are not merely stimulus-response reactive objects, responding passively to the external environment. On the contrary, they have their own plant-specific agency, and their interactions with the variable environment involves directed and intentional actions that are regulated by sophisticated processes of sensing and signaling. Such interactions form communication networks with neighboring plants that also interfere positively or negatively in the way each individual thrives.

Research is showing that plants are in constant and lively discourse--they communicate, signaling to remote organs within an individual, eavesdropping on neighboring individuals, and exchanging information with other organisms ranging from other plants to microbes to animals. Plants lack central nervous systems, and the mechanisms coordinating plant sensing, behavior, and communication are quite different from the systems that accomplish similar tasks in animals. But they are no less impressive from an evolutionary perspective. In "Plant Communication, "Karban puts an ear to the ground to reveal the world of plant communication and information sensing. He reveals their sensory capabilities, the learning capacity of plants, sensory signaling and communication, the different responses to pollinators and predators, and the mechanisms that undergird this impressive behavioral repertoire. The book shows that plants are hardly the inanimate organisms limited by their stationary existence."

Since the concept of allelopathy was introduced almost 100 years ago, research has led to an understanding that plants are involved in complex communicative interactions. They use a battery of different signals that convey plant-relevant information within plant individuals as well as between plants of the same species or different species. The 13 chapters of this volume discuss all these topics from an ecological perspective. Communication between plants allows them to share physiological and ecological information relevant for their survival and ?tness. It is obvious that in these very early days of ecological plant communication research we are illuminating only the ‘tip of iceberg’ of the communicative nature of higher plants. Nevertheless, knowledge on the identity and informative value of volatiles used by plants for communication is increasing with breath-taking speed. Among the most spectacular examples are sit- tions where plant emitters warn neighbours about a danger, increasing their innate immunity, or when herbivore-attacked plants attract the enemies of the herbivores (‘cry for help’ and ‘plant bodyguards’ concepts). It is becoming obvious that plants use not only volatile signals but also diverse water soluble molecules, in the case of plant roots, to safeguard their evolutionary success and accomplish self/non-self kin rec- nition. Importantly, as with all the examples of biocommunication, irrespective of whether signals and signs are transmitted via physical or chemical pathways, plant communication is a rule-governed and sign-mediated process.

Since the concept of allelopathy was introduced almost 100 years ago, research has led to an understanding that plants are involved in complex communicative interactions. They use a battery of different signals that convey plant-relevant information within plant individuals as well as between plants of the same species or different species. The 13 chapters of this volume discuss all these topics from an ecological perspective. Communication between plants allows them to share physiological and ecological information relevant for their survival and ?tness. It is obvious that in these very early days of ecological plant communication research we are illuminating only the ‘tip of iceberg’ of the communicative nature of higher plants. Nevertheless, knowledge on the identity and informative value of volatiles used by plants for communication is increasing with breath-taking speed. Among the most spectacular examples are sit- tions where plant emitters warn neighbours about a danger, increasing their innate immunity, or when herbivore-attacked plants attract the enemies of the herbivores (‘cry for help’ and ‘plant bodyguards’ concepts). It is becoming obvious that plants use not only volatile signals but also diverse water soluble molecules, in the case of plant roots, to safeguard their evolutionary success and accomplish self/non-self kin rec- nition. Importantly, as with all the examples of biocommunication, irrespective of whether signals and signs are transmitted via physical or chemical pathways, plant communication is a rule-governed and sign-mediated process.

Plant neurobiology is a newly emerging field of plant sciences. It covers signalling and communication at all levels of biological organization – from molecules up to ecological communities. In this book, plants are presented as intelligent and social organisms with complex forms of communication and information processing. Authors from diverse backgrounds such as molecular and cellular biology, electrophysiology, as well as ecology treat the most important aspects of plant communication, including the plant immune system, abilities of plants to recognize self, signal transduction, receptors, plant neurotransmitters and plant neurophysiology. Further, plants are able to recognize the identity of herbivores and organize the defence responses accordingly. The similarities in animal and plant neuronal/immune systems are discussed too. All these hidden aspects of plant life and behaviour will stimulate further intense investigations in order to understand the communicative plants in their whole complexity.

This book provides an overview of the intricacies of plant communication via volatile chemicals. Plants produce an extraordinarily vast array of chemicals, which provide community members with detailed information about the producer’s identity, physiology and phenology. Volatile organic chemicals, either as individual compounds or complex chemical blends, are a communication medium operating between plants and any organism able to detect the compounds and respond. The ecological and evolutionary origins of particular interactions between plants and the greater community have been, and will continue to be, strenuously debated. However, it is clear that chemicals, and particularly volatile chemicals, constitute a medium akin to a linguistic tool. As well as possessing a rich chemical vocabulary, plants are known to detect and respond to chemical cues. These cues can originate from neighbouring plants, or other associated community members. This book begins with chapters on the complexity of chemical messages, provides a broad perspective on a range of ecological interactions mediated by volatile chemicals, and extends to cutting edge developments on the detection of chemicals by plants.

Discover the hidden language of the natural world with Rooted in Conversation, an enthralling exploration into the fascinating realm of plant communication. This eBook invites you to delve deep into the intricate web of interactions that plants utilize to survive, adapt, and thrive in their environments. Embark on a journey that begins with an eye-opening Introduction to Plant Communication, uncovering historical milestones and the crucial importance of understanding these silent exchanges. Navigate the biochemical pathways in The Language of Chemicals and discover how plants communicate through chemical signals and volatile organic compounds. Unravel the mysteries of the underground with Root Communication Networks, exploring the rhizosphere, mycorrhizal symbiosis, and the intriguing role of root exudates. Learn about the electrical whispers in the plant kingdom with Electrical Signaling, revealing plants' ability to generate and respond to electrical signals. Tune in to the subtle Acoustic Communication among plants, discussing whether plants can hear and how they react to sound, while Acoustic Emission unveils the incredible phenomenon of plants producing sound. Plant-to-Plant Warning Systems highlights the cooperative strategies plants employ during herbivore attacks, showcasing their defensive chemistry and collective resilience. Touch-based signaling is brought to life in Communication through Touch, explaining thigmomorphogenesis and its impacts on growth and development. The Role of Light in Plant Communication covers how light serves as an information source and influences plant behavior, from photoreceptors to shade avoidance mechanisms. The symbiotic Communication with Other Organisms demonstrates plants' interactions with pollinators, insects, and even predators, revealing a world of mutualistic exchanges and indirect defense strategies. Engage with the battlefields of Chemical Warfare Allelopathy in Plants and understand the ecological significance of allelopathic chemicals in plant competition. Explore the practical applications of these discoveries in Plant Communication in Agriculture, highlighting ways to enhance crop management and sustainability. Ethical Implications and Conservation discusses the moral considerations of plant research and its potential to inform conservation efforts. Rooted in Conversation concludes with compelling Case Studies in Plant Communication, offering insights into tree communication in forests, survival strategies of desert plants, and the adaptations of aquatic vegetation. Finally, The Human Connection bridges the gap between human culture and plant communication, proposing future applications that could transform our relationship with the natural world. Rooted in Conversation provides a captivating look at the unseen communications that sustain the green world, encouraging readers to connect more deeply with the plants around them. Rediscover the silent conversations that help our planet flourish.

Communication is an essential factor underpinning the interactions between species and the structure of their communities. Plant-animal interactions are particularly diverse due to the complex nature of their mutualistic and antagonistic relationships. However the evolution of communication and the underlying mechanisms responsible remain poorly understood. Plant-Animal Communication is a timely summary of the latest research and ideas on the ecological and evolutionary foundations of communication between plants and animals, including discussions of fundamental concepts such as deception, reliability, and camouflage. It introduces how the sensory world of animals shapes the various modes of communication employed, laying out the basics of vision, scent, acoustic, and gustatory communication. Subsequent chapters discuss how plants communicate in these sensory modes to attract animals to facilitate seed dispersal, pollination, and carnivory, and how they communicate to defend themselves against herbivores. Potential avenues for productive theoretical and empirical research are clearly identified, and suggestions for novel empirical approaches to the study of communication in general are outlined.

Our view of plants is changing dramatically. Rather than being only slowly responding organisms, their signaling is often very fast and signals, both of endogenous and exogenous origin, spread throughout plant bodies rapidly. Higher plants coordinate and integrate their tissues and organs via sophisticated sensory systems, which sensitively screen both internal and external factors, feeding them information through both chemical and electrical systemic long-distance communication channels. This revolution in our understanding of higher plants started some twenty years ago with the discovery of systemin and rapid advances continue to be made. This volume captures the current ‘state of the art’ of this exciting topic in plant sciences.