So far, scientists have always thought that humans and animals are creatures that can be smart because they have brains and can think. In contrast to plants that can only be silent, do not move, and do not say anything.
But recently, that thinking has started to change. A number of scientists try to see a different side to convince themselves that plants also have intelligence.
For example, there is an article entitled “The Intelligent Plant” from The New Yorker which was published in 2013. More or less these are the factors that explain why plants have intelligence.
1. Plants can communicate with each other
Although they cannot talk like humans and animals, in fact plants are recognized to be able to communicate with each other. Network mycorrhizal or mushroom roots are one way plants talk to each other.
Reported Science Focus, the connected roots between each plant become their language to inform what is happening at that time. More than that, the network can also be useful in dividing nutrients, such as sugar to water.
Network mycorrhizal fairly complex and complicated like the roots you are used to seeing. It can communicate a large number of different plant species. What’s more, the network is also believed to be able to inform the presence of small things to dangerous situations, such as the arrival of insects that eat a lot of leaves.
Scientists believe network mycorrhizal is an attempt by plants to create an ecosystem that can benefit them each other. Through this network, plants can also work together to help other plants in need. Forests are ecosystems formed by mycorrhizal tissue and rather than being seen as a collection of plants, forests look more like giant super-organisms in the eyes of scientists.
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2. Plants can learn from experience
illustration of plants and sun (evergreenti.com)–
You would not think that even plants have experience. One of the most obvious examples of this phenomenon is how the body of a plant is always inclined towards the sun. Regardless of their need and ability to photosynthesize, their inclination towards the sun shows how plants observe their experience of being exposed to that light and try to aim towards it as much as possible in order to photosynthesize effectively.
Reported by the site ambius.com, researchers at Western Australia University had time to experiment with plant experiences to see the stimulus and reward system that happened to them. The trick is to give the plant the wind from the fan and the light from the lamp at the same time. This method is intended to provide information on the presence of food that comes to them.
After four days, the researchers were 100 percent confident that they had succeeded in teaching plants to respond to fans without needing to turn on lights or provide light. As a result, the experimental plant began to lean toward the fan even without the lights on. The study concluded that the stimulus in plants was sufficient to trigger their response.
Also Read: 8 Most Popular Carnivorous Plants, Can Make Insect Kills
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3. Plants have memories
shy daughter plant illustration (pixabay.com/Krishnendu Pramanick)–
The problem of the inclination of plants towards the sun is one of the forms of memory possessed by these photosynthetic living things. However, researchers found more facts than that. One study from 2014 found that plants can learn to remember in just one day.
The study involved the shy princess plant (Mimosa pudica) which is sensitive to touch and will close its leaves when it is. The experiment was carried out by dropping the shy princess plant 60 times with a time interval of five seconds using a system such as an elevator.
After 60 falls, the shy princess no longer closed her leaves as if she understood that their fall was not dangerous. To make the results of the study more convincing, 56 different types of shy princess plants were included in the experiment. The results of the responses were similar and the data concluded that plants were able to memorize situations.
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4. Plants have the ability to find solutions
cactus illustration (pixabay.com/David Mark)–
Have you ever wondered how a cactus can survive in a desert where water is scarce? The answer is twofold: he has the ability to store water and he has the ability to find water. For this second ability, you can find out by pulling the cactus and seeing the roots that can grow very elongated.
The long roots of this cactus are a form of the plant’s ability to find solutions to the problems it faces. The study entitled “Tuned in: plant roots use sound to locate water” even mentions that plants can also “hear” water. You do this by feeling the vibrations of water flowing through the soil or pipes and flowing its roots towards the water.
It is stated in the study that the roots will not extend if the surrounding soil is loose, fertile, and rich in water. Through this situation, it can be concluded that plants are trying hard and trying various things to survive.
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5. Plants have the ability to hear
illustration of music and plants (news.artnet.com) –
In the previous point, it was mentioned that plants have the ability to hear water. This ability is actually not only limited to water, but also the human voice. This is evidenced by the suggestion to talk to plants. The myth says talking to plants can make them grow better.
Dr. Dominique Hes, plant expert who was the resource person The Guardian say plants don’t hear the way we hear sounds. They hear by feeling the vibrations that travel through their leaves and bodies. Even the volume of the sound matters. Dr. Dominique even said that plants like sounds with low vibrations, namely at 115-250 Hz.
Basically plants have intelligence that is equal to humans and animals. However, intelligence has a different form. So, don’t underestimate plants, okay?
Also Read: 9 Indonesian Plants That Are Rare & Endangered, Let’s Take Care!
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