Plant intelligence

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The term plant intelligence summarizes a controversial theoretical concept from the biology of plants, which ascribes the ability to "problem solving" to plants. The hypothesis of a “green intelligence” goes back to Charles Darwin's studies on seedling development.

history

In his penultimate book on the movement processes of plants (The Power of Movements in Plants), Darwin formulated a "root-tip brain hypothesis". This states that the tip of the radicle performs the function of the brain in a low animal; This brain (the seedling plant) sits in the lowest end of the body, receives impressions via the sensory organs and thus determines the numerous movements (of the root). Darwin's theory has been checked and expanded over decades. Today it is known that the kalyptra (root hood) can perceive not only gravity, but also light, touch, humidity and other stimuli. From this "brain analogy", modern plant physiologists developed the concept of Plant Intelligence from 2002.

Arguments for and against plant intelligence

In an article in the magazine Der Spiegel in 2014, the concept of plant intelligence was presented and discussed controversially there with reference to statements from leading experts. So z. For example, the Italian plant physiologist Stefano Mancuso is one of the proponents of this idea. He argued that plants developed a tissue analogous to the nervous system of animals, so the term plant neurobiology was justified. In support of his thesis on plant intelligence, Mancuso cites, among other things, that the plants have ingenious “problem-solving strategies”; B. with regard to the defense against predators, signal transduction in the event of injury, as well as the alleged ability to exchange signals within the individual and between individual plants in dense vegetation. Mancuso argued e.g. For example, as follows: "In the plant ... we find intelligence in its simplest form, still without specialized nerve cells." He cites the carnivorous Venus flytrap or mimosa as an example . “Intelligence is problem solving… and plants are no worse at this than many animals.” The biologist Ulrich Kutschera countered these theses with the following arguments: “Plants have long been regarded as automatic growth machines that simply run their programs.” He refers to the disdain for plant sciences in public and speaks of an unrecognized discipline: "The media are enthusiastic about cancer therapies, genome research or the intelligence of chimpanzees," says Kutschera. “Who cares, on the other hand, that plants have receptors for blue light?” Proponents of plant intelligence argue that the problem-solving ability of plants lies in the interplay of their parts. B. the innumerable root tips of a growing crop. Kutschera, on the other hand, pointed out in the Spiegel article that the granting of intelligence to plants would leave esoteric speculations free: "Plants are extremely sensitive, animals are quite comparable in this regard - they can always keep up with annelids," he argued. In 2014 Kutschera warned against bringing this concept, which is reminiscent of pseudo-scientific hypotheses, to the general public.

Current debate related to human intelligence

In a comprehensive journal article in 2017, Trewavas presented his arguments in support of the postulated plant intelligence and defined this ability as “adaptively variable behavior during the life of an individual organism”, whereby he also referred to the “problem-solving strategy” of the plants. Mancuso has put together similar arguments. This interpretation was extensively discussed and critically discussed by Kutschera. First he gave examples of the supposed intelligence of the plants, whereby the "problems" light position of the leaves (analogous to pendulous sunflowers), the release of liquid water when the earth is saturated with H 2 O, the petiole growth of flooded water lily plants, the insect-flower interactions and the "self-burial" in gladiolus bulbs are shown. Furthermore, Kutschera describes the myxomycetes endowed by Trewavas with supposed "primitive intelligence" . With reference to the high sensitivity of plants, already recognized by Julius Sachs , he rejects the assumption of a “plant intelligence” with the following arguments: If the plants were granted a “problem-solving ability”, z. As well as designated by Kutschera and Elliott as "worms with character", with the Oligochaeta related flukes (Hirudinea), as well as many other "lower organisms" to be designated as intelligent beings. With reference to the concept of intelligence in humans (inter alia connected with creative achievements), Kutschera argues that plants are “living solar power plants with a heart without a soul”, which show a high degree of sensitivity, but do not have intelligence and awareness. With the ascription of a "green intelligence", a "demarcation from plant esotericism" and the widespread popular belief in metaphysical life forces etc. is hardly possible, argued Kutschera. Furthermore, he takes up the thesis of a "plant dignity" and explains that this problematic term z. B. can be interpreted as “respect for the vegetation”. This would accord the plants “a value independent of human self-interest”, which is reasonable in the light of the ongoing destruction of tropical rainforests.

literature

  • Stefano Mancuso, Angelika Viola: Brilliant Green. The Surprising History and Science of Plant Intelligence. Island Press, Washington, 2015.
  • Ulrich Kutschera: Physiology of plants. Sensitive plants in action. LIT-Verlag, Berlin, 2018.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Charles Darwin: The Power of Movements in Plants. John Murray, London, 1880, p. 573.
  2. ↑ Ulrich Kutschera: fact evolution. What Darwin couldn't know. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich, 2009, pp. 118–120.
  3. ^ Anthony Trewavas: Aspects of plant intelligence. Ann. Bot. 92, 2003, 1-20
  4. ^ A b Manfred Dworschak: Botany. In the garden of Dr. Mancuso. Der Spiegel 17, 2014, 107-110.
  5. ↑ Michael Pollan The New Yorker, December 23, 2013: The Intelligent Plant. Retrieved March 8, 2019 (American English).
  6. ^ Anthony Trewavas: The foundations of plant intelligence. Interface Focus 7, 2017, 20160098, 1-18.
  7. ^ Stefano Mancuso: The Revolutionary Genius of Plants. A New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior. Simon & Schuster, New York, 2018, pp. 5–9.
  8. ↑ a b c Ulrich Kutschera: Physiology of plants. Sensitive plants in action. LIT-Verlag, 2019, pp. 633–639.
  9. ↑ Physiology of plants. 1 .: Living solar power plants with a heart without a soul, 2018
  10. ↑ Julius Sachs: Lectures on plant physiology. 2nd Edition. Verlag Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig, 1887.
  11. ↑ Ulrich Kutschera, J. Malcolm Elliott: Charles Darwin's observations on the behavior of earthworms and the evolutionary history of a giant endemic species from Germany, Lumbricus badensis (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae). Appl. Environm. Soil Sci. 2, 2010, 1-11.
  12. ^ Phillip Fearnside: Deforestation of the Bazilian Amazon. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Sciences. Oxford University Press, USA, 2018, 1–58.