When it comes to the study about the forest, there is a mystery about its seedlings that have been left unsolved until now. There are two types of seeds -- one that falls off the tree and the one that stays close. Studies show that seedlings that fall off the tree and roll over far from its home seem to thrive better than those that stay close. Although scientists who have observed this pattern do not really understand the reason behind it, they believe that it is about the soil of the adult tree that makes it difficult for the seedlings to thrive.
In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers grew seedlings of various tree types in the soil to get answers for the questions that bother them. Not only did they get the answers, but they also received ample knowledge on the topic.
The reason for the death of these trees is very peculiar. The seeds of trees can actually grow in soil where species of its kind are growing. The only difference is that they cannot grow on the soil where their parent trees are growing. Furthermore, the researchers believe that what keeps the offspring from growing near their parent tree is the bacteria present in the soil. The bacteria may not be dangerous to the adult plant, but it somehow sickens the budding seedlings.
Naturally, scientists are able to identify the many advantages for tree seedlings flying away from its parent tree. In fact, it was seen as advantageous to the environment as it could help different varieties of trees to grow in almost anywhere and everywhere in the forest. It has become rare that a seedling tree is growing under the sheltered supervision of its parent tree. In tropical rainforests, the diversity of trees are extremely enormous and the good thing is that all of them are thriving very well.
The research team set out to look into a variety of trees, including the nutrient content in its soil. The presence of symbiotic fungi based on the sampling of trees in Panama was also considered. The soils that were carefully collected from the area were placed in pots. After eight months, the researchers compared to the sizes and weight of the plants. That was when they saw the huge difference in the size of the seedling grown in its parent soil and those that grew in a different kind of soil.
"Growing near the soil of species of the same kind is more beneficial to seedlings than growing near the soil of its parent plant," Jenalle Eck said. She is a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich and lead researcher of the study. The results of the study have confirmed their suspicion that there is something about the soil of the parent plant that is to blame. If pathogens were present in the soil, they would definitely cause the seedlings' growth to be hampered.
The fact is that the toxicity levels in soil could keep seedling trees from growing. This may not be as urgent as the other matters that affect the environment, but it is as important as all the rest. When these tree seedlings don't grow, you can only imagine what would be left of the forest and the environment as well.
