Warum Bäume mehr können, als du denkst.

How can trees learn? Well, welcome! We are already talking about the fascinating abilities of trees and today we are talking about the topic of how trees learn. The whole world thinks we have to rebuild the forests, adapt to climate change, but the trees do that themselves. And it's a lot of fun. They learn. They don't just stand around and are stupid and work off their genetic program. No, they get exactly what's going on here. How do trees do that? When it gets dry, they naturally feel thirsty. I have to save water. And when there is a heavy drought, they change their behavior for the rest of their lives. That means they use less water in spring to have more for the next dry summer. And especially with beech trees, a phenomenon is currently being observed, as we were told, that they may change their overall behavior. And only in spring they produce a lot of pollen, take a short break in summer and catch up again in autumn. However, the knowledge is not lost. You don't know exactly how trees remember things, but there is a reference to epigenetic effects. These are small reading marks that are placed on the genes and then lead to behavior changes. And this behavior change, e.g. the adaptation to less water, can also be found in the small beech trees. In here, in the beech trees, the knowledge is now stored by this beech. They pass it on via these reading marks on the genes to their offspring. And if a small beech grows out of here, which we hardly hope, in the next spring, then it already knows how to behave. And if it doesn't know it, then there is more. And I have to dig into the ground again. There are a lot of bacteria in here. Researchers have found about 40,000 different species in this handful alone. And some of them help the trees to remember by switching on and off the genes and making the trees more drought-resistant. That means it's about the forest that adapts. Because the bacteria are not stupid either. They depend on the trees. They need tree sugar. And if they notice that their sugar giver is weakening, then you can remind them and say, hey, you have such a program, such a memory. If you use it, it works better in a dry summer. And I, as a bacteria, have more sugar. So everyone learns together. This is a whole learning system. Of course, we must not overdo it. In terms of climate change, we should really hit the brakes hard. But trees can still learn so much that they can do it if we leave them alone. And on we go with the fascinating skills of the trees. We actually have the ideal combination, discarded leaves and water. The trees are now preparing for winter sleep. Hopefully they have refueled enough sugar in the summer, like a bear that eats a layer of bacon. And now slowly glide into sleep. But before going to bed, they have to undress, i.e. discard the leaves. And then it goes into the realm of dreams and into the realm of water collection. That's why we have optimal weather today. It's raining. That's what trees love. Because now, in winter, they refuel. And because they have discarded the leaves, the rain can fall nicely to the ground or run down to the trunks. And fill up the ground. Here on the ground, up to 200 liters of water can be stored per square meter in the underground, which the trees can then collect again next summer. But again, they have to actively introduce that. The wood is now drying, so water is being drawn out. So that in winter, when it freezes hard, it doesn't tear. It's like a water pipe that is full of water and freezes through. It could burst. That's what the trees are doing. They're pulling it all out now. And in one last act, the leaves are discarded. And then the trees can't see much anymore. Because here they register brightness, darkness, etc. So they're practically going blind now. But when you sleep, your eyes are closed. Trees don't do that any other way. The leaf discarding with trees usually starts at the top. Because it costs the most energy to pump water all the way to the top. And when you get tired slowly, you let go of the hard work. So the trees start to discolor at the top first. And then it goes down deeper and deeper. But our trees, at least here, are obviously still really hungry this year. And that's why we've had this green for a very, very long time. And I would be interested to know what it looks like for you. Do you also have hungry trees with you? Just write it in the comments how long your trees stay green.