Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar eclipse

Regular light–dark cycles greatly affect organisms, and events like eclipses induce distinctive physiological and behavioural shifts. While well documented in animals, plant behaviour during eclipses remains largely unexplored. Here, we monitored multiple spruce trees to assess their individual and...

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Main Authors: Alessandro Chiolerio, Monica Gagliano, Silvio Pilia, Paolo Pilia, Giuseppe Vitiello, Mohammad Dehshibi, Andrew Adamatzky
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: The Royal Society 2025-04-01
Series:Royal Society Open Science
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Online Access:https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241786
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author Alessandro Chiolerio
Monica Gagliano
Silvio Pilia
Paolo Pilia
Giuseppe Vitiello
Mohammad Dehshibi
Andrew Adamatzky
author_facet Alessandro Chiolerio
Monica Gagliano
Silvio Pilia
Paolo Pilia
Giuseppe Vitiello
Mohammad Dehshibi
Andrew Adamatzky
author_sort Alessandro Chiolerio
collection DOAJ
description Regular light–dark cycles greatly affect organisms, and events like eclipses induce distinctive physiological and behavioural shifts. While well documented in animals, plant behaviour during eclipses remains largely unexplored. Here, we monitored multiple spruce trees to assess their individual and collective bioelectrical responses to a solar eclipse. Trees anticipated the eclipse, synchronizing their bioelectrical behaviour hours in advance. Older trees displayed greater anticipatory behaviour with early time-asymmetry and entropy increases. These results reveal a relationship between trees, shaped by individual age and physiology as well as collective history. This highlights the significance of synchrony in plants, offering new insights into coordinated behaviours in nature.
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id doaj-art-cd49e893cef3492fa6e8715f787e4f4e
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issn 2054-5703
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publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher The Royal Society
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series Royal Society Open Science
spelling doaj-art-cd49e893cef3492fa6e8715f787e4f4e2025-08-20T02:55:44ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-04-0112410.1098/rsos.241786Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar eclipseAlessandro Chiolerio0Monica Gagliano1Silvio Pilia2Paolo Pilia3Giuseppe Vitiello4Mohammad Dehshibi5Andrew Adamatzky6Bioinspired Soft Robotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, ItalyCyberforest Experiment, Paneveggio (TN), ItalyCyberforest Experiment, Paneveggio (TN), ItalyCyberforest Experiment, Paneveggio (TN), ItalyCyberforest Experiment, Paneveggio (TN), ItalyUnconventional Computing Laboratory, University of the West of England, Bristol, UKUnconventional Computing Laboratory, University of the West of England, Bristol, UKRegular light–dark cycles greatly affect organisms, and events like eclipses induce distinctive physiological and behavioural shifts. While well documented in animals, plant behaviour during eclipses remains largely unexplored. Here, we monitored multiple spruce trees to assess their individual and collective bioelectrical responses to a solar eclipse. Trees anticipated the eclipse, synchronizing their bioelectrical behaviour hours in advance. Older trees displayed greater anticipatory behaviour with early time-asymmetry and entropy increases. These results reveal a relationship between trees, shaped by individual age and physiology as well as collective history. This highlights the significance of synchrony in plants, offering new insights into coordinated behaviours in nature.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241786synchronizationsprucecyberforestquantum field theoryfractal dimensionentropy
spellingShingle Alessandro Chiolerio
Monica Gagliano
Silvio Pilia
Paolo Pilia
Giuseppe Vitiello
Mohammad Dehshibi
Andrew Adamatzky
Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar eclipse
Royal Society Open Science
synchronization
spruce
cyberforest
quantum field theory
fractal dimension
entropy
title Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar eclipse
title_full Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar eclipse
title_fullStr Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar eclipse
title_full_unstemmed Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar eclipse
title_short Bioelectrical synchronization of Picea abies during a solar eclipse
title_sort bioelectrical synchronization of picea abies during a solar eclipse
topic synchronization
spruce
cyberforest
quantum field theory
fractal dimension
entropy
url https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241786
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