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submitted 8 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[-] cynar@lemmy.world 255 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I was curious and looked it up. Apparently it mostly happens between trees of the same species, with several causes.

Most are mechanical. The tips brush against each other, and damage new branches and leaves. Both trees divert growth away from the area.

Some also sense shading via red light. They focus growth away from shade. This means neither tree grows into the gap, since they are partially shading each other.

It also helps limit the spread of leaf eating parasites. Again, particularly useful in a forest of the same species.

So yes, the trees are social distancing, to avoid the spread of disease.

[-] stebo02@lemmy.dbzer0.com 58 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I was curious and looked it up.

Lol I thought you said you looked up at the trees, and just observed all those facts

[-] BedSharkPal@lemmy.ca 39 points 8 months ago

So you're saying the trees can accomplish what humanity never could.

[-] cynar@lemmy.world 18 points 8 months ago

Considering how little conflict we currently have, compared to our population size, we are doing extremely well. Unfortunately, the conflicts remaining are spectacular enough to counter that.

[-] Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 months ago

We did a good job down here, sounds like your country must’ve sucked at it.

[-] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 3 points 8 months ago

Australia?

[-] Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

Ye.

[-] Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone 2 points 8 months ago

Yeah i thought we went well too.

To be fair though or population density is so low, there's more people in some cities then our country

[-] Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 months ago

But we’re also incredibly urbanised, with basically half our population living in 2 cities alone. That’s more beneficial to a virus spreading than simply population size.

[-] Haagel@lemmings.world 14 points 8 months ago

Trees hella smart.

[-] knorke3@lemm.ee 5 points 8 months ago

balances -> branches* :)

[-] And009@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 8 months ago

I think there's also a corelation on how dense a forest can get because it affects the sunlight in ground too. If it gets too dark then life would rot underneath

[-] setsneedtofeed@lemmy.world 49 points 8 months ago

[-] Chev@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

Imagine a stranger holding your hand in public transport like this 😲😳

[-] FilterItOut@thelemmy.club 1 points 8 months ago

Well, if they were stinky I'd probably be upset. If their hands were sticky, I'd be upset. Repeat for the other social offenses. Otherwise, sure, go for it. We all need a case of mistaken identity in our lives.

[-] Deceptichum@sh.itjust.works 33 points 8 months ago

Looks like a voronoi noise texture.

[-] Gork@lemm.ee 8 points 8 months ago

It can probably be mathematically defined as such.

I wonder how much different species affect the parameters.

[-] thanks_shakey_snake@lemmy.ca 4 points 8 months ago

It kinda is!

[-] vzq@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 8 months ago

It would be if the trees all were the same age and grew at the same rate.

[-] ohwhatfollyisman@lemmy.world 19 points 8 months ago

im so glad that we aren't the only species that do hoverhands.

[-] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 19 points 8 months ago

my sibling, putting their finger close but not on me: I'm not touching you!

Me, who understands matter never touches because of electromagnetic forces putting my finger on my sibling: I'm not touching you!

[-] the_beber@lemm.ee 13 points 8 months ago

They‘re just like me fr

[-] Phoenix3875@lemmy.world 8 points 8 months ago

The Witness has rewired my brain to look for dot line patterns.

[-] lugal@sopuli.xyz 7 points 8 months ago

This is real? I read about it in a scifi (or rather solar punk) novel and thought it's a metaphor or something

[-] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

It wasn't as good as "Wild-Built."

[-] lugal@sopuli.xyz 2 points 8 months ago

True. I liked both but the first was better

[-] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

For sure. It's almost an unfair comparison, but that is the comparison we are forced to make.

[+] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de -13 points 8 months ago

This shouldnt happen in nature should it? Just talking out of my ass here but i feel like this only happens because they are all the same height because they were planted by humans at the same time. Or maybe only in mono culture forests, because i have never seen this simply because there is always overlap from smaller or different trees where i have been.

[-] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 32 points 8 months ago

Not only should it happen in nature, but nature causes this behavior. They evolved that way because they survive better than a species that gets tangled up in itself. That's it. That's the whole reason, start to finish. There are a multitude of reasons why not getting tangled up in your neighbors is good, but the tree simply has to survive better, and that is all that is required for the behavior to become the new natural norm.

[-] mozz@mbin.grits.dev 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Correct

Natural selection happens at the genotype level, not the individual level. Having a species that likes to combat with other individuals with, essentially, the exact same genotype, at the expense of both individuals, is often not a winning strategy.

(There are exceptions and caveats of course -- e.g. competition between individuals to select the fittest ones of them to preferentially survive, or Fisher's Principle which explains why the ratio of males to females is roughly 50:50 in most species, even though that's often not optimal for the species as a whole).

[-] Fuck_u_spez_@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago

And isn't it advantageous to the whole forest if the mature trees are the same height? Doesn't that happen naturally all over the place? Something about equal sunlight, hydraulic pressure, hydration, and... I forget.

[-] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

It's advantageous to be a taller tree than your neighbours, since you get more sun. That turned into an evolutionary arms race to the top, and now we have tall forests.

[-] PilferJynx@lemmy.world -2 points 8 months ago

Man, that's some crazy logic. I'll take occams razor and state that wind movement abrades the leaves/limbs on one another.

[-] MotoAsh@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

It's not crazy logic to describe natural selection.

[-] PilferJynx@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago

I'm just saying you're adding too much complexity in this particular phenomenon. Evolution by natural selection is a very robust model that has remarkable predictive power. It only works if you're not assuming too many inputs.