Readers Write In #863: Are Trees Leftists? – Thoughts on The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben

By Wiseass Fool

Are trees leftists? I certainly think so, after reading the book The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. Before anyone comes at me saying that Trees cannot hold political or economic ideologies, let me be the first to admit that they really can’t. These are just my interpretations about the things I learnt about trees from this book, and I’m definitely not claiming them to be the absolute truth. Political ideologies are very much a human construct, and certainly applying them to non-human entities might not be the right way to understand either of them, but nonetheless it is very interesting to draw parallels and discuss them.

What makes a tree left leaning?

Trees, unlike I previously thought, are not a static, stand-alone solitary living entity, but very much a dynamic, intelligent and social being in ways that are not immediately obvious to us. Trees of the same species, and in some cases, of different species’ root systems connect together either directly or via a fungi network beneath the earth. This network, akin to a fiber-optic internet network, lets us visualize the entire forest as one giant super organism.

What are the advantages of the tree network, you may ask? – SOCIAL SECURITY.

Photosynthesis amongst the trees in a forest were roughly the same, irrespective of the amount of sunlight, water, the soil the tree sits on and location of these trees.

How is this possible? – ROOT NETWORK.

Research has shown us that this enormous network acts like a redistribution mechanism using which all the trees are equally successful. These fungal networks allow the trees to share carbon, water and other nutrients. It is like how the social security systems operate to ensure individual members of the society don’t fall too far behind.

The trees also make sure that their canopies don’t overcrowd other trees, and their crowns are well spaced and organized to maximize the harvest of sunlight. This phenomenon is called crown shyness and it is observed even in trees of different species.

When these trees are nibbled on by wandering animals, on African Acacia to be precise, the tree releases a chemical in the air that lets the other neighboring trees know that there is a threat at hand. The threat response of the neighboring trees is them secreting toxic chemicals, so they become inedible to the taste buds of the nibbler. Trees deal with insect pests differently. Trees can sense the presence of these pests on them, and signal the henchman predators that can prey on these insect pests, just by releasing a chemical signal. The trees can also use the aforementioned root network via fungi and signal neighboring trees about insects, droughts and other dangers.

Monoculture = Individualism & Diverse Forest = Collectivism

Monocultures in trees refer to the practice of planting large areas with only one species of tree, often for the purposes of commercial forestry. The trees regularly fell, and they are not given the opportunity to form the fungi networks that make the forest one single super organism. Instead, these trees lead a sad solitary life even when they are close to other trees of the same species. Monocultures have increased susceptibility to diseases, pests and other extreme weather events that can wipe out entire stands of disconnected trees. Monocultures prioritizes fast growth and thus human profits above all else, at the expense of the crucial biodiversity, resilience and long term sustainability. Monocultural “forests” of these kinds are more so a sad overcrowded chicken farm and less a thriving and diverse forest.

Moreover, monocultural forests are not as efficient carbon sinks as their diverse forest counterparts because the former has considerably lesser biomass and they are regularly cut down. The excess carbon that gets released to the atmosphere directly contributes to the acceleration of climate change. I see climate change to be very similar to rising wealth inequality, because both are consequences of systems that prioritize short-term, concentrated gains over long-term, collective well-being and stability.. A diverse and healthy forest is the only way to combat climate change, very much like how wealth and power redistribution is the only way to avoid an economic collapse.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, this book offers a unique and compelling perspective on the world of trees. As for the parallels I drew between the world of trees and humans, it is important to remember that these are not perfect analogies. I wrote this quick review purely to make the reader interested in this book and sort of do this thought experiment of comparing the two worlds. This is also a great first book, if you want to get into the habit of reading.