Page 18 - DK Findout! Forest

Forest communication

Under the soil in many forests around the world are
secret networks of roots. The roots of plants and
fungi connect and “talk” to each other and these

links can be useful for many reasons. Here
are some of the ways that fungi use these

communication webs to protect or
harm their plant neighbors.

Mushrooms
Many kinds of mushrooms grow in forests.
They grow out of the ground and the part that
you see on the forest floor is called the fruit.
Their threadlike “roots” are always hard at
work delivering secret messages underground.

Chanterelle Beechwood
sickener

Water

Some diseases cut off Defense
water to trees by damaging If a disease that harms
their roots. Fungi help fight trees is spreading through
these diseases, keeping a forest, fungi send signals
the roots healthy and the Nutrients to other trees telling them
trees alive. Fungi provide trees with to “shut down” and
nutrients from the soil. protect themselves.
In return, the trees give
the fungi food, which
they made using
photosynthesis.

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