Study reveals that plants can hear
A recent study, conducted by Monica Gagliano, Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology & Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia, shows that plants can detect acoustic vibrations in order to localize water sources.
The research’s results show how plants react to sounds and vibrations better than humidity level of the ground. They also can detect sound waves quality: it was proved that they “prefer” the original sound of water flow rather than a recorded one.
“I’m not looking at music specifically – Monica Gagliano says – even if the first idea behind this research come from the folkloristic sensation that plants can listen to music, or that we can talk to them in this way.”
“For me, as a scientist – Monica continues – I was curious if this story it’s only a tale that we like, or if there is a grain of truth in it: I was also prepared to find nothing”.
The research reveals the importance of sound waves for our ecosystem and also how noise pollution can damage green areas.
