The Green Plant as an Intelligent Organism - Communication in Plants: Neuronal Aspects of Plant Life - page 10

competition from other plants. And when branches are fully overgrown
the connecting vascular system is sealed, leading eventually to death and
abscission (Franco 1986; Honkanen and Hanioja 1994; Henrikkson 2001).
1.4.2
Predictive Modelling to Improve Fitness
La Cerra and Bingham (1998) regard predictive modelling of behavioural
outcomes in the service of inclusive fitness as the sine qua non of intelli-
gent behaviour. Virtually all decisions made by plants are directed towards
a future goal of optimal fitness. Roots and shoots growing along gradients
of minerals or light are modelling a future that will subsequently increase
resource acquisition if continued. Even when resource receptors are finally
triggeredandproliferationofleavesandrootsisinitiated,predictivemod-
elling is in full force because new leaves and roots only become sources when
nearly mature (Taiz and Zeiger 1998). Ackerly and Bazzaz (1995) observed
that in canopy gaps both branch and leaf polarity were constructed to align
with the primary orientation of diffuse light, again the product of assess-
ingfutureresourcecapture.Bothnegativeandpositivefeedbackcontrols
must operate to flesh out the predictive model. Experiments analysing the
decisions to promote the growth (and acquisition of root resources) of
well-placed branches at the expense of those less well placed concluded
that the decisions were based on the speculatively expected future than the
prevailing conditions (Novoplansky 1996, 2003; Novoplansky et al. 1989).
The mayapple, a forest-floor perennial, takes decisions that determine fu-
ture branch or flower formation years in advance (Geber et al. 1997). Many
trees make similar decisions on flower production at least a year ahead.
Perhaps the flower bud abscission in a colder spring observed in many
fruit trees reflects a new reassessment of that past decision with present
conditions.
The parasitical plant dodder exhibits a choice of host by rejecting many
suitable ones. Furthermore in the earliest foraging contact of a suitable
host, the future return of resources from the host is assessed within a few
hours and energy investment in numbers of parasitical coils (and thus
haustoria) is optimized (Kelly 1990, 1992). Using a variety of hosts Kelly
(1990, 1992) showed that dodder fits the Charnov (1976) model, an anal-
ysis that shows how animals optimize their energy investment as against
subsequent energy gain during foraging. Foraging in some other plants
supports the Charnov model for plants (Gleeson and Fry 1997; Wijesinghe
and Hutchings 1999). As mentioned earlier Physarum likewise optimizes
energy investment for energy gain (Nakagaki et al. 2000), behaviour de-
scribed as intelligent.