"Billy" wrote in message
...
. . . Since the development of time-lapse
photography, it has been possible to
document the dances and scuffles in densely
populated plant communities: saplings on
the forest floor compete for space to stretch
their roots and shoots; fallen trees provide
young ones with nourishment; vines lash
around desperately searching for a trunk
they can climb to reach the light; and
wildflowers race each other to open their
blooms in springtime and compete for the
attention of pollinators. To truly understand
the secret social life of plants, however, you
must look and listen more closely.

A good place to start is underground in
the rhizosphere - the ecosystem in and
around plant roots. Beneath the forest floor,
each spoonful of dirt contains millions of
tiny organisms. These bacteria and fungi
form a symbiotic relationship with plant
roots, helping their hosts absorb water and
vital elements like nitrogen in return for
a steady supply of nutrients.



Perhaps the forest is being grown by a benevolent fungus?

Steve