Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
1
The Green Plant as an Intelligent Organism
Anthony Trewavas
Abstract
Intelligence is an aspect of complex adaptive behaviour and a term not normally
applied to plants. This chapter indicates a change in concept is long overdue and if poets
can recognize it (above) so should scientists. Networks that control information flow are
described as intelligent and such networks exist in all single living cells and in more complex
multicellular organisms. Phosphoneural bacterial networks are briefly considered and these
exist in a slightly different molecular but more complex form in higher plant and animal cells.
Intelligent behaviour involves the whole organism and such integration involves complex
communication. Evidence that plants forage and act intelligently in acquiring resources is
indicated. The phenotype is actively (not passively) constructed in response to a complex
changing environment by decisions that best secure the well-being of the individual plant
within the life cycle goal of optimal fitness.
MoreandmoreIhavecometoadmireresilienceNotthesimpleresistanceofapillow
whose foam Returns over and over to the same shape but the sinuous Tenacity of a tree:
findingthelightnewlyblockedononesideItturnstoanother.Ablindintelligence
true But out of such persistence arose turtles, rivers, Mitochondria figs-all this resinous
un-retractable earth.
Jane Hirshfield (2005)
1.1
Introduction
Intelligence is an aspect of adaptive behaviour, even in humans. Organisms
that live in challenging but variable and competitive circumstances require
forms of behaviour that rise to that challenge and must be equally flexible to
improvefitness.Thosebestabletomastertheirenvironmentarethosemost
likely to succeed in the Darwinian wars. “The success of a species depends
on it performing well (surviving and producing offspring, i.e. fitness) in
its own particular environment. And intelligence plays a critical part in
this success.” Warwick 2001, p. 9). Since the life cycle is probably a pri-
mary target of natural selection (McNamara and Houston 1996; Schlichting
and Pigliucci 1998), efficient acquisition of necessary food resources dur-
ing growth and development is an important aspect of subsequent fitness
becausethereisacommonrelationbetweenaccumulatedresourcesand
subsequent sibling number (Bazzaz 1996).
