Radiolab: From Tree to Shining Tree

Instructions

Listen to the RadioLab podcast: "From Tree to Shining Tree".
You may use your laptop or a smart phone with the RadioLab podcast app.  This podcast is about 30 minutes long.  This will change your understanding of trees and how they act cooperatively using the "Wood-wide web" :-)
http://www.radiolab.org/story/from-tree-to-shining-tree/

1

What happened to their dog in the beginning of the story?

1

Trees of different species are supposed to fight each other for sunshine and other resources, right? Well, what happened when she took out the birch tree that was next to the fir tree?

1

What happens when she injected radioactive gas into the various trees growing in the plastic bags?

1

If you put food in one tree over here it could end up in another tree 30 feet away.

1

The trees that were the biggest and oldest were the ones that were the most highly connected to other trees.

1

What’s the funny name the scientists came up for this tree to tree network?

1

The investigators went to the botanical gardens to investigate further. What kind of creature did they find growing on the roots of plants?

1

These tiny threads are not threads at all, but actually tiny _______  acting as a freeway system underground.

1

What do the trees produce that the fungi need?

1

What do the trees need that comes from the soil so they can be bigger than the size of a tulip plant?

1

Tree roots are not actually that good at doing what you think they are doing? What do we think the roots are doing?

1

To be clear, the fungi tubes wrap around the tree roots so they can exchange what two things?

1

What do the fungus tubes secrete when they encounter a packet of minerals so that they can “mine them”?

1

Explain the role of the little springtails and what the fungus tubes are sucking out of them?

1

There are some forest areas where up to __________ % of the nitrogen found in the trees comes from “fish food”, discarded salmon remains from bear meals.

1

What is meant by: Trees use the fungus tubes as a bank? Give an example.

1

How do trees use the fungus to send warning signals (like a game of telephone) to each other? Give an example.

1

Listen to the RadioLab podcast: "From Tree to Shining Tree".

Listen to the RadioLab podcast: "From Tree to Shining Tree".

Radiolab: From Tree to Shining Tree

Listen to the RadioLab podcast: "From Tree to Shining Tree".

Listen to the RadioLab podcast: "From Tree to Shining Tree".

What happened to their dog in the beginning of the story?

Trees of different species are supposed to fight each other for sunshine and other resources, right? Well, what happened when she took out the birch tree that was next to the fir tree?

What happens when she injected radioactive gas into the various trees growing in the plastic bags?

If you put food in one tree over here it could end up in another tree 30 feet away.

The trees that were the biggest and oldest were the ones that were the most highly connected to other trees.

What’s the funny name the scientists came up for this tree to tree network?

The investigators went to the botanical gardens to investigate further. What kind of creature did they find growing on the roots of plants?

What do the trees produce that the fungi need?

What do the trees need that comes from the soil so they can be bigger than the size of a tulip plant?

Tree roots are not actually that good at doing what you think they are doing? What do we think the roots are doing?

To be clear, the fungi tubes wrap around the tree roots so they can exchange what two things?

What do the fungus tubes secrete when they encounter a packet of minerals so that they can “mine them”?

Explain the role of the little springtails and what the fungus tubes are sucking out of them?

There are some forest areas where up to __________ % of the nitrogen found in the trees comes from “fish food”, discarded salmon remains from bear meals.

What is meant by: Trees use the fungus tubes as a bank? Give an example.

How do trees use the fungus to send warning signals (like a game of telephone) to each other? Give an example.

Based on what you know, do you think there is a sort of “intelligence” in the forest community? Why or why not?

What happened to their dog in the beginning of the story?

Trees of different species are supposed to fight each other for sunshine and other resources, right? Well, what happened when she took out the birch tree that was next to the fir tree?

What happens when she injected radioactive gas into the various trees growing in the plastic bags?

If you put food in one tree over here it could end up in another tree 30 feet away.

The trees that were the biggest and oldest were the ones that were the most highly connected to other trees.

What’s the funny name the scientists came up for this tree to tree network?

The investigators went to the botanical gardens to investigate further. What kind of creature did they find growing on the roots of plants?

What do the trees produce that the fungi need?

What do the trees need that comes from the soil so they can be bigger than the size of a tulip plant?

Tree roots are not actually that good at doing what you think they are doing? What do we think the roots are doing?

To be clear, the fungi tubes wrap around the tree roots so they can exchange what two things?

What do the fungus tubes secrete when they encounter a packet of minerals so that they can “mine them”?

Explain the role of the little springtails and what the fungus tubes are sucking out of them?

There are some forest areas where up to __________ % of the nitrogen found in the trees comes from “fish food”, discarded salmon remains from bear meals.

What is meant by: Trees use the fungus tubes as a bank? Give an example.

How do trees use the fungus to send warning signals (like a game of telephone) to each other? Give an example.

Based on what you know, do you think there is a sort of “intelligence” in the forest community? Why or why not?