this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2025
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me_irl
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What exactly does a tree do once it’s been notified of danger? “Oh shit, I better tree even harder”
And then it leaves
Great joke
süperbö
This may explain what happened to the Entwives.
Run away! Run away!
Acacia trees increase tannin level in their leaves. Giraffes don't like the bitterness and stop eating it.
The emitted ethylene will only move with the wind. Giraffes counter that by moving upwind, targeting trees that have not been 'warned'.
Obviously, the trees counter this by always growing downwind.
I see someone's read The Hidden Life of Trees!
If someone started eating your hair, would you not be scared?
Thats crazy cool
It makes like a tree and gets outa there
Makes like a tree and fucks off?
no, Biff, that’s not the joke
I'm not sure about the trees but a bunch of plants release ethylene as a stress response (too much water, not enough water, too much salt, etc), causing fruit to ripen faster likely increasing their chances at successfully reproducing. You can suspend ripening in apples for instance by blocking the ethylene receptors.
Maybe it can like store a little energy or water or smth to try to have a better shot at survival?
Edit: after a quick googling, they do this when an animal starts eating their leaves. Trees that have been warned will increase tannin production to toxic levels, making their leaves less than palatable.