The evidence for fungal communication networks

Ecology

The popular idea of the Wood Wide Web suggests that trees use mycorrhizal networks to actively communicate and support one another. However, recent critical reviews indicate that the evidence for this coordinated social behavior is thin. The data often shows passive nutrient exchange driven by concentration gradients. This means nutrients move from where they are plentiful to where they are scarce; it is a chemical process, not a social one. The 'mother tree' hypothesis specifically has struggled with replication in controlled environments. There is a significant gap here between the peer reviewed literature and how these findings are presented in science communication. The narrative of a conscious forest community is compelling, but the actual data points toward a much more mechanical system of resource redistribution. How do we reconcile the gap between the simplified narratives used in science outreach and the actual messy data found in the field?