BIOMIMICRY

Keystone species are species that have a disproportionate effect on their environment relative to their abundance. They are sometimes called `umbrella species' or `ecosystem engineers’. This is because of their central role in affecting the distribution, abundance or diversity of many other species in their community. Eons before the World Wide Web there was the Wood- Wide Web mediated by the Mycorrhizal fungus, which is an underground keystone species.An ecosystem is a community of organisms such as microbes, plants, insects, birds and animals that interact with one another. These organisms depend on one another to reproduce, survive, and thrive. For example, a beaver builds a dam across a river, and plants grow on the riverbank on either side of the dam. The dam protects plants from strong winds and floods. The plants also protect the beaver from predators.

Mycorrhizae are a symbiotic fungus which forms associations with the roots (inside and outside) of almost 80% of the plant species. It aids in the absorption of water and mineral nutrients from the soil, nitrogen fixation, in exchange for sugars and possibly inorganic nutrients produced in the host.

Furthermore, the Mycorrhizal fungus enables ‘tree talk ' communication amongst the same and different species of plants, analogous to the role played by modern day internet. However, instead of connected computers the Wood-Wide Web uses trees. Communication includes transfer of defence signals and other environmental cues that influence plant adaptive behaviour and impact the entire forest ecosystem.

When a tree is under attack, say from a herbivore or beetle, it sends chemical signals through the air and through the underground fungal network to other plants so they can put up their defences, like tasting horrible. The roots of maize defend against phytopathogens by releasing a pesticide that also attracts a beneficial microbe that preys on the target pest.

It is believed that when a tree dies it dumps resources to its surviving neighbours through the roots fungal network. Mature “mother” trees have been shown to send nutrients to their “children” seedlings who are growing in shaded areas, where they cannot access adequate sunlight to do their own photosynthesis.