>Scientists call these mycorrhizal networks. The fine, hairlike root tips of trees join together with microscopic fungal filaments to form the basic links of th

>Scientists call these mycorrhizal networks. The fine, hairlike root tips of trees join together with microscopic fungal filaments to form the basic links of the network, which appears to operate as a symbiotic relationship between trees and fungi, or perhaps an economic exchange. As a kind of fee for services, the fungi consume about 30 percent of the sugar that trees photosynthesize from sunlight. The sugar is what fuels the fungi, as they scavenge the soil for nitrogen, phosphorus and other mineral nutrients, which are then absorbed and consumed by the trees. To me it looks like the fungi are farming the trees. All what is described as cooperation among trees (and seem paradoxical to supposed competition) more fits the fungi's purpose of maximizing of that sugar production (as well as shade and moisture which are key to fungi thriving) on given square footage. The trees can't force fungi to pass signal nor to transfer nutrition from a healthy to a weak tree. It is fungi who have all the power here and they would take the nutrition from a large healthy tree and pass it to a weak tree to provide for the tree not dying and thus not getting a sunny and dry spot and losing the sugar production from that spot.