By Amanda Shepperd, University of Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
Did you know that trees can talk to one another? They do this through mycelium or mycorrhiza. Mycelium is a living fungus that expands below the soil, creating a network of connections between all plant species, something like the Internet, which allows them not only to communicate but also to take care of themselves, protect themselves, feed themselves and stock up on water. When a tree is cut down in the forest, this mycelium communicates to the rest of the trees that one of them is dying, and the others, through the mycelium, begin to take care of the remaining trunk through feeding, watering, and protecting it, to try to save that tree. This happens when there is insects or diseases going through a forest.