Can plants talk to each other? - Richard Karban

翻译人员: Mingyu Cui 校对人员: 臻瑢 邵

Can plants talk to each other?

植物能互相交流吗？

It certainly doesn't seem that way.

看起来当然不能。

Plants don't have complex sensory or nervous systems like animals do,

植物不像动物一样有着复杂的感触神经系统，

and they look pretty passive,

他们看起来被动得多，

晒晒太阳，

basking in the sun,

and responding instinctively to inputs like light and water.

本能地吸收阳光和水分。

But odd as it sounds, plants can communicate with each other.

尽管听起来很玄乎，但是植物确实能相互交流。

Just like animals, plants produce all kinds of chemical signals

像动物一样，植物也会针对周围环境，产生各种化学信号，

in response to their environments,

and they can share those signals with each other,

而且，它们还会相互分享这些化学信号，

especially when they're under attack.

尤其是当它们处于受到侵犯时。

这些化学信号有两种传播途径：

These signals take two routes:

through the air,

一个是通过空气，

and through the soil.

一个是通过土壤。

When plant leaves get damaged,

当植物叶子受到损伤，

whether by hungry insects or an invading lawn mower,

如被饥饿的虫子吃或者被除草机割时，

they release plumes of volatile chemicals.

它们会释放一缕缕挥发性的化学气体。

They're what's responsible for the smell of freshly cut grass.

这就是割新鲜草时我们闻到的气味。

一些特定的植物，例如灌木蒿和利马豆，

Certain kinds of plants, like sagebrush and lima beans,

are able to pick up on those airborne messages

能够检测到这些空气信息因子，

and adjust their own internal chemistry accordingly.

然后相应地调节它们内部自身的化学状态。

In one experiment, sagebrush leaves were deliberately damaged by insects

在一次实验中，科学家用剪刀或让虫子故意破坏灌木蒿的叶子，

or scissor-wielding scientists.

Throughout the summer,

在整个夏天里，

other branches on the same sagebrush plant

在这株灌木蒿上的其他枝桠

got eaten less by insects wandering through,

被到处飞舞的昆虫吃的相对较少。

and so did branches on neighboring bushes,

周围植株的叶子也同样被昆虫吃得少，

suggesting that they had beefed up their anti-insect defenses.

这表明它们的抗虫性得到的增强。

Even moving the air from above a clipped plant to another one

甚至将剪除了叶子的植物周围的空气移给另外一株植物

made the second plant more insect-resistant.

也能增强这株植物的抗虫性。

These airborne cues increase the likelihood of seedling survival,

这些通过空气传播的因子有利于幼苗的存活，

而且还能使成熟植株生长出更多的枝桠和花朵。

and made adult plants produce more new branches and flowers.

But why would a plant warn its neighbors of danger,

但为什么植物会给它的邻居提示危险呢，

especially if they're competing for resources?

它们明明在竞争资源啊？

Well, it might be an accidental consequence of a self-defense mechanism.

或许这只是个自我防御机制的偶然结果——

Plants can't move information through their bodies as easily as we can,

植物不能像我们一样随意通过身体传播信息，

especially if water is scarce.

尤其是当水资源缺乏时，

So plants may rely on those airborne chemicals

植物也许能依赖于这些空气信息因子，

to get messages from one part of a plant to another.

从植株的这一部分传到信息到另一部分。

Nearby plants can eavesdrop on those signals,

附近的植株能探测到这些信号，

like overhearing your neighbor sneeze and stocking up on cold medicine.

就像偷听到你邻居在打喷嚏，然后你就开始囤积感冒药。

Different plants convey those warnings using different chemical languages.

不同的植物用不同的化学语言传递这些警示信息，

Individual sagebrush plants in the same meadow

同一牧场中的单体灌木蒿，

release slightly different sets of alarm chemicals.

释放稍有不同的预警化学物质。

The makeup of that cocktail influences the effectiveness of communication.

不同化学物质的相互补充影响着交流的效率，

The more similar two plants' chemical fingerprints are,

两种植物释放的化学物质的特征越相近，

the more fluently they can communicate.

它们之间的交流就越顺利。

A plant will be most sensitive to the cues emitted by its own leaves.

一种植物对由它自身叶子释放的化学物质最为敏感，

But because these chemicals seem to be inherited,

但是这些化学物质就像是被遗传的，

like human blood types,

像人类的血型，

sagebrush plants communicate more effectively

灌木蒿和亲属之间的交流较陌生属来说更为有效。

with relatives than with strangers.

But sometimes, even other species can benefit.

但有时候，其他种类的植物也能从中获益，

Tomato and tobacco plants can both decipher sagebrush warning signals.

西红柿和烟草植物都能解析灌木蒿释放的化学信号，

Plants don't have to rely solely on those airborne broadcasts.

植物没必要仅仅依赖于这些空气“广播”，

Signals can travel below the soil surface, too.

这些信号还能在土壤下传播。

Most plants have a symbiotic relationship with fungi,

很多植物和真菌有共生关系，

which colonize the plants' roots and help them absorb water and nutrients.

这些真菌寄生在植物的根上，并帮助它们的吸收水分和营养。

These fungal filaments form extensive networks

这些真菌丝形成广泛的网络，

that can connect separate plants,

能在不同植物之间建立起联系，

creating an underground super highway for chemical messages.

为化学信号传递建立一个地下超高速公路。

When a tomato plant responds to blight

当西红柿通过激活抗病基因和酶对抗枯萎病时，

by acitvating disease-fighting genes and enzymes,

signaling molecules produced by its immune system

免疫系统产生的信号分子，

can travel to a healthy plant

会传递到其他健康的植物上，

and prompt it to turn on its immune system, too.

并刺激它也开启免疫系统。

These advance warnings increase the plants chance of survival.

这些高级预警机制能提升植物的存活机会，

Bean plants also eavesdrop on each other's health

豆类植物也能”偷听“各自的健康状态信息。

through these fungal conduits.

通过这些真菌渠道，

An aphid investation in one plant

一株植物上蚜虫的入侵

triggers its neighbor to ramp up production of compounds that repel aphids

能激活它的邻居产生大量的抗蚜虫化学物质，

and attract aphid-eating wasps.

将吃蚜虫的黄蜂吸引过来。

If you think of communication as an exchange of information,

如果认为交流就是相互交换信息，

then plants seem to be active communicators.

那么植物就是活跃的联络员，

They're sending, receiving, and responding to signals

它们收发信号以及作出相应的反应，

without making a sound,

静悄悄地，没有声音，

and without brains, noses, dictionaries, or the Internet.

没有大脑、鼻子、词典和互联网。

And if we can learn to speak to them on their terms,

如果我们能学会用它们的语言和它们沟通，

we may gain a powerful new tool to protect crops and other valuable species.

我们就掌握了一个强有力工具去保护庄稼和其他重要物种。

It all makes you wonder what else are we missing?

这些让你想起作为人类的我们缺失什么了吗？