麻豆传媒

TREES may have vibrant inner lives that aren鈥檛 so different from ours. They thrive in families, form underground social networks and may even feel pain. What鈥檚 more, they seem to have individual personalities, benefit from a good night鈥檚 sleep and communicate using different types of language.

Or so claims Peter Wohlleben in his bestseller, The Hidden Life of Trees, newly translated from German. His insight is based on working as a forester in Germany. 鈥淚鈥檝e been watching trees for the past 25 years and living with them all day long,鈥� he told me.

By talking to tree scientists from the nearby University of Aachen and reading academic papers, Wohlleben gained a better understanding of what he was witnessing. As a nature enthusiast, however, most of the insights he presents have not been subjected to the same scrutiny as scientific research, so may be more of a jumping-off point for further investigation.

One problem with studying trees is that they live life in the slow lane, so it takes a lot of time, and close observation, to uncover their 鈥渂ehaviour鈥�. Being able to simply spend time around them, as Wohlleben did, is a good way to make accidental discoveries.

鈥淭rees thrive in families, form underground social networks and may even feel pain鈥�

His most memorable encounter involved what he thought were strangely shaped stones covered in moss. After picking off some of the greenery, he was surprised to find that it was old wood that had become hard as rock, and formed part of a gnarled tree stump that appeared to be hundreds of years old. But a greenish layer under the bark indicated that it was still alive. 鈥淭he only possibility was that it was connected to its neighbours鈥� roots, which were sending it sugar to keep it alive,鈥� he says.

Wohlleben鈥檚 anecdotes are engaging, but sadly his book contains only a few. For the most part, it jumps around a tree鈥檚 life, using anthropomorphic language to explain various aspects. This may help laypeople relate to trees, but when he hints that humans might be able to communicate with plants given that seedlings respond to sound, we have strayed into oversimplification.

The book鈥檚 goal, however, is to bring tree conservation centre stage. When Wohlleben started his career, he worked for the forestry commission, where the focus was on optimising lumber production. This meant the trees鈥� life cycles were speeded up, while the widely spaced planting prevented them from developing the underground connections that they normally would have done. It was only when Wohlleben started organising forest tours that he discovered the natural processes being disrupted.

In the next 10 years, Wohlleben hopes concern for animal rights will lead to similar rights for trees, and forestry practices will become more sustainable. As he says, 鈥淭rees are often seen as oxygen producers or raw material for the timber industries. Maybe one day people will also enjoy watching trees as much as elephants.鈥�

This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淟ife in the slow lane鈥�