Predatorial Trees

Mason Dixon writes: "The white pine tree -- known for its majestic heights and soft blue-green needles -- is a predator under the soil, teaming up with fungi to eat insects alive. University of Guelph researchers found that white pine trees form a deadly partnership underground with the fungus Laccaria bicolor, which grows from the tree's root. The two work as mutualists, with the fungus preying on insects to get animal-origin nitrogen, then using it to "barter" with the host tree for the carbon it needs to synthesize enzymes."

Environmentalist Parasites?

[Anonymous Coward]

If anything, environmentalists are less parasitic than the average person. They use less power, food, gasoline, make less waste, and generally try to help rebuild areas damaged by other people's "parasitic" behaviors, including whole industries that make money taking resources from public land.

The trees are pissed. Watch out.

It was a total eclipse of the sun....

[funcan]

Blood! Must be blood!.....

Anyone worried yet?

Re:This isn't all bad..

[rumba]

Goodness gracious, you are a dumbass.

Kudzu

[soupman]

And kudzu is the predatorial vine of The South (southeastern USA). It kills by smothering other forms of plant life. I hate the stuff. It detracts from the natural beauty of creation/nature.

Cool...

[IHateEverybody]

This is very cool. Was anyone else reminded of the X-Files episode where Muldur and Scully get trapped by a giant man-eating fungus that makes its victims hullucinate while it digests them?

Re:This news is nearly as old as dirt

[kuzinov]

Nematodes are worms dude.

Re:Cool...

[caffeinated_bunsen]

The X-Files had that fungus? Cool. I don't watch the show, but that sounds suspiciously similar to a certain fungus in Space Quest II. As the game relates it, your last thought as your body begins to get digested is "Wow! Check out the colors, dude!"

Re:This news is nearly as old as dirt

[Ssolstice]

"small insects such as nematodes"?! Nematodes aren't even CLOSE to insects in the evolutionary scheme of things. Besides, considering what the average person's education in sciences is, providing a little information now and then (even if it's old to you) is a good thing. Don't be such an ass unless you can keep your facts straight.

Fungi that eat nematodes

[Ssolstice]

I prefer the fungi that catch nematodes in loops and then suck them dry. They've got pictures here [uoguelph.ca].

Re:Kudzu

[NonSequor]

I remember reading that goats can handle kudzu. Of course, I can't imagine there being any sort of program to have goats graze alongside highways all over the south east.

Er... Well, y'know. You can't make an omelette without um... destroying a forest. Or something.

This news is nearly as old as dirt

[dirtfirst]

Mycorrhizal relationships -- the mutualist relationship between plants and fungi -- were first noted in 1863 by the German researcher Frank. Fossil evidence indicates this relationship seems to have been around for the last 460 Million years, which is just about the beginning of land plant evolution. These infections, which can take many different forms, are most noted for increasing the nutrient uptake in the plant (as well as providing the fungal partner with photosynthetic carbon in return). To oversimplify things a bit, different fungi specialize in obtaining nutrients from different substrates - some are good at extracting minerals, others at obtaining nitrogen, phosphorus and such from complex organic sources. Several fungi are adept at preying on small insects such as nematodes.

In short, this is as newsworthy if you've had your head in the sand for the last few million years.

We need more trees like that.

[cryptochrome]

Woohoo! Nature Kicks Ass!

cryptochrome

Sound familiar?

[jessemckinney]

It's kind of like Microsoft and Intel, eh?

Re:Kudzu

[jessemckinney]

Ther is a difference between native and invasive exotic species. Kudzu is the later having come from Asia. Ecosystems design themselves to have predators for plants like this. It will take a loooong time for predators to evolve for these species. It looks like humans just volunteered. Feel like getting out your clippers?