Trees Use a 'Muscle' to Correct Their Posture—a Newly Discovered Role for Tension Wood

Trees have their own version of muscles: Scientists discover how they sense a tilt and straighten themselves, a lesson in how nature finds its balance

Science News: A tree might look like it's stuck in place, quietly suffering whatever weather comes. But below that stillness is a remarkable system for sensing, res.

Trees use a 'muscle' to correct their posture—a newly discovered role for tension wood

A research team from INRAE and the University Clermont Auvergne has shown that trees are capable of correcting a curvature they detect in their stems through a specific biological process. In the study, young trees with bent stems were placed in an experimental set-up that prevented them from sensing their orientation relative to light and gravity. The only sense remaining to the trees was the perception of their own curvature. Under these conditions, the scientists observed the formation of a particular type of wood, known as tension wood, which acts like a muscle to correct the curvature of the stem, allowing it to realign within a few weeks.

Trees have their own version of muscles: Scientists discover how they sense a tilt and straighten themselves, a lesson in how nature finds its balance - THE LOCAL REPORT ARTICLES

To study proprioception alone, the researchers had to remove other cues that normally affect a tree’s growth. A tree might look like it’s stuck in place, quietly suffering whatever weather comes. But below that stillness is a remarkable system for sensing, responding and correcting its own posture. But new research suggests that trees can sense […] The post Trees have their own version of muscles: Scientists discover how they sense a tilt and st…