Mother trees, altruistic fungi, and the perils of plant personification

David G. Robinson; Christian Ammer; Andrea Polle; Jürgen Bauhus; Roni Aloni; Peter Annighöfer; Tobias I. Baskin; Michael R. Blatt; Andreas Bolte; Harald Bugmann; Jerry D. Cohen; Peter J. Davies; Andreas Draguhn; Henrik Hartmann; Hubert Hasenauer; Peter K. Hepler; Ulrich Kohnle; Friederike Lang; Magnus Löf; Christian Messier; Sergi Munné-Bosch; Angus Murphy; Klaus J. Puettmann; Iván Quiroz Marchant; Peter H. Raven; David Robinson; Dale Sanders; Dominik Seidel; Claus Schwechheimer; Peter Spathelf; Martin Steer; Lincoln Taiz; Sven Wagner; Nils Henriksson; Torgny Näsholm

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.010

Mother trees, altruistic fungi, and the perils of plant personification

David G. Robinson
, Christian Ammer
, Andrea Polle
, Jürgen Bauhus
, Roni Aloni
, Peter Annighöfer
, Tobias I. Baskin
, Michael R. Blatt
, Andreas Bolte
, Harald Bugmann
, Jerry D. Cohen
, Peter J. Davies
, Andreas Draguhn
, Henrik Hartmann
, Hubert Hasenauer
, Peter K. Hepler
, Ulrich Kohnle
, Friederike Lang
, Magnus Löf
, Christian Messier

Sergi Munné-Bosch, Angus Murphy, Klaus J. Puettmann, Iván Quiroz Marchant, Peter H. Raven, David Robinson, Dale Sanders, Dominik Seidel, Claus Schwechheimer, Peter Spathelf, Martin Steer, Lincoln Taiz, Sven Wagner, Nils Henriksson, Torgny Näsholm

Horticultural Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

There are growing doubts about the true role of the common mycorrhizal networks (CMN or wood wide web) connecting the roots of trees in forests. We question the claims of a substantial carbon transfer from ‘mother trees’ to their offspring and nearby seedlings through the CMN. Recent reviews show that evidence for the ‘mother tree concept’ is inconclusive or absent. The origin of this concept seems to stem from a desire to humanize plant life but can lead to misunderstandings and false interpretations and may eventually harm rather than help the commendable cause of preserving forests. Two recent books serve as examples: The Hidden Life of Trees and Finding the Mother Tree.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	20-31
Number of pages	12
Journal	Trends in Plant Science
Volume	29
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.010
State	Published - Jan 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier Ltd

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 15 Life on Land

Keywords

anthropomorphism
common mycorrhizal networks
forest management
mother tree concept
publication policy

Publisher link

10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.010

Find It

Find It at U of M Libraries

Cite this

Robinson, D. G., Ammer, C., Polle, A., Bauhus, J., Aloni, R., Annighöfer, P., Baskin, T. I., Blatt, M. R., Bolte, A., Bugmann, H., Cohen, J. D., Davies, P. J., Draguhn, A., Hartmann, H., Hasenauer, H., Hepler, P. K., Kohnle, U., Lang, F., Löf, M., ... Näsholm, T. (2024). Mother trees, altruistic fungi, and the perils of plant personification. Trends in Plant Science, 29(1), 20-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.010

Robinson, DG, Ammer, C, Polle, A, Bauhus, J, Aloni, R, Annighöfer, P, Baskin, TI, Blatt, MR, Bolte, A, Bugmann, H, Cohen, JD, Davies, PJ, Draguhn, A, Hartmann, H, Hasenauer, H, Hepler, PK, Kohnle, U, Lang, F, Löf, M, Messier, C, Munné-Bosch, S, Murphy, A, Puettmann, KJ, Marchant, IQ, Raven, PH, Robinson, D, Sanders, D, Seidel, D, Schwechheimer, C, Spathelf, P, Steer, M, Taiz, L, Wagner, S, Henriksson, N & Näsholm, T 2024, 'Mother trees, altruistic fungi, and the perils of plant personification', Trends in Plant Science, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 20-31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.010

@article{9f8d5e9b4eb64f3793a90f6fcb46eaba,

title = "Mother trees, altruistic fungi, and the perils of plant personification",

abstract = "There are growing doubts about the true role of the common mycorrhizal networks (CMN or wood wide web) connecting the roots of trees in forests. We question the claims of a substantial carbon transfer from {\textquoteleft}mother trees{\textquoteright} to their offspring and nearby seedlings through the CMN. Recent reviews show that evidence for the {\textquoteleft}mother tree concept{\textquoteright} is inconclusive or absent. The origin of this concept seems to stem from a desire to humanize plant life but can lead to misunderstandings and false interpretations and may eventually harm rather than help the commendable cause of preserving forests. Two recent books serve as examples: The Hidden Life of Trees and Finding the Mother Tree.",

keywords = "anthropomorphism, common mycorrhizal networks, forest management, mother tree concept, publication policy",

author = "Robinson, \{David G.\} and Christian Ammer and Andrea Polle and J{\"u}rgen Bauhus and Roni Aloni and Peter Annigh{\"o}fer and Baskin, \{Tobias I.\} and Blatt, \{Michael R.\} and Andreas Bolte and Harald Bugmann and Cohen, \{Jerry D.\} and Davies, \{Peter J.\} and Andreas Draguhn and Henrik Hartmann and Hubert Hasenauer and Hepler, \{Peter K.\} and Ulrich Kohnle and Friederike Lang and Magnus L{\"o}f and Christian Messier and Sergi Munn{\'e}-Bosch and Angus Murphy and Puettmann, \{Klaus J.\} and Marchant, \{Iv{\'a}n Quiroz\} and Raven, \{Peter H.\} and David Robinson and Dale Sanders and Dominik Seidel and Claus Schwechheimer and Peter Spathelf and Martin Steer and Lincoln Taiz and Sven Wagner and Nils Henriksson and Torgny N{\"a}sholm",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2024",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.010",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "29",

pages = "20--31",

journal = "Trends in Plant Science",

issn = "1360-1385",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Mother trees, altruistic fungi, and the perils of plant personification

AU - Robinson, David G.

AU - Ammer, Christian

AU - Polle, Andrea

AU - Bauhus, Jürgen

AU - Aloni, Roni

AU - Annighöfer, Peter

AU - Baskin, Tobias I.

AU - Blatt, Michael R.

AU - Bolte, Andreas

AU - Bugmann, Harald

AU - Cohen, Jerry D.

AU - Davies, Peter J.

AU - Draguhn, Andreas

AU - Hartmann, Henrik

AU - Hasenauer, Hubert

AU - Hepler, Peter K.

AU - Kohnle, Ulrich

AU - Lang, Friederike

AU - Löf, Magnus

AU - Messier, Christian

AU - Munné-Bosch, Sergi

AU - Murphy, Angus

AU - Puettmann, Klaus J.

AU - Marchant, Iván Quiroz

AU - Raven, Peter H.

AU - Robinson, David

AU - Sanders, Dale

AU - Seidel, Dominik

AU - Schwechheimer, Claus

AU - Spathelf, Peter

AU - Steer, Martin

AU - Taiz, Lincoln

AU - Wagner, Sven

AU - Henriksson, Nils

AU - Näsholm, Torgny

PY - 2024/1

Y1 - 2024/1

N2 - There are growing doubts about the true role of the common mycorrhizal networks (CMN or wood wide web) connecting the roots of trees in forests. We question the claims of a substantial carbon transfer from ‘mother trees’ to their offspring and nearby seedlings through the CMN. Recent reviews show that evidence for the ‘mother tree concept’ is inconclusive or absent. The origin of this concept seems to stem from a desire to humanize plant life but can lead to misunderstandings and false interpretations and may eventually harm rather than help the commendable cause of preserving forests. Two recent books serve as examples: The Hidden Life of Trees and Finding the Mother Tree.

AB - There are growing doubts about the true role of the common mycorrhizal networks (CMN or wood wide web) connecting the roots of trees in forests. We question the claims of a substantial carbon transfer from ‘mother trees’ to their offspring and nearby seedlings through the CMN. Recent reviews show that evidence for the ‘mother tree concept’ is inconclusive or absent. The origin of this concept seems to stem from a desire to humanize plant life but can lead to misunderstandings and false interpretations and may eventually harm rather than help the commendable cause of preserving forests. Two recent books serve as examples: The Hidden Life of Trees and Finding the Mother Tree.

KW - anthropomorphism

KW - common mycorrhizal networks

KW - forest management

KW - mother tree concept

KW - publication policy

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85173139492

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85173139492#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.010

DO - 10.1016/j.tplants.2023.08.010

M3 - Review article

C2 - 37735061

AN - SCOPUS:85173139492

SN - 1360-1385

VL - 29

SP - 20

EP - 31

JO - Trends in Plant Science

JF - Trends in Plant Science

IS - 1

ER -

Mother trees, altruistic fungi, and the perils of plant personification

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

Publisher link

Find It

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this