Forests often echo with the sounds of their inhabitants, especially after rain, but not all conversations can be heard: some mushrooms, in fact, chat silently by sending each other electrical signals hidden underground, as the study published in the journal Fungal Ecology and led by from Tohoku University of Japan. The research adds another intriguing piece to the complex puzzle that illustrates the role played by these organisms and the often overlooked ecosystems that develop in the soil beneath the forests.
The researchers led by Yu Fukasawa focused on a group of mushrooms of the species Laccaria bicolor, found near a path in the woods. This fungus forms symbiotic relationships with some plants, including many large trees, increasing their supply of water and nutrients and receiving carbohydrates in return. This species of fungi forms a sort of underground sheath around the roots of plants composed of so-called ‘hyphae’, the root-like filaments that feed the growth of a fungus: when the hyphae connect underground, they form interconnected networks that can even extend quite .
Previous studies had already shown that fungi are capable of producing electrical signals in response to changes in the environment, but so far the analyzes have only been done in artificial laboratory conditions. Now, however, the study authors attached electrodes directly to mushrooms found in the forest, monitoring them for about two days. During this time interval, a typhoon brought 32 millimeters of rain to the area: 1-2 hours later the mushrooms began to ‘talk’ by sending each other electrical signals, sometimes even exceeding 100 millivolts. According to the researchers, the signals were related to variations in both rainfall and temperatures, and were particularly strong among the mushrooms located closest to each other.
Source: Ansa
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