The Wood Wide Web

Reading time: 4 minutes

Research has shown that beneath every forest and wood there is a complex underground web of roots, fungi and bacteria helping to connect trees and plants to one another. [1]

In the 21^st century almost everything is on the internet. The World Wide Web could be described as the lifeblood of the planet; transporting money, information and communication across the globe at a unprecedented rate and increasing in speed all the time. At this point, it is difficult to imagine the world without the web, even though it is a relatively recent technology. In fact, the UN has flirted with making basic internet access a human right.

What if I told you there was a ‘web’ of connectivity that existed long before the internet, one which is arguably more important?

Recent developments in research has shown that much of the forestry, including trees, plants, bacteria and fungi, in our world is connected to each other deep in the undergrowth, in what is known as the 'Wood Wide Web'.

 Trees, the heaviest users, communicate on the web by sending signals through their roots. They share information on threats posed by invasive organisms, predators or pests. As a result, other trees can respond and keep themselves safe. These are called Mycorrhizal networks. Amazing!

 When considering the importance of forestry and woodland, needless to say, without the Wood Wide Web the earth would be remarkably different.

Granted, this web takes place in a much more localised setting from one forest to another. The great Appalachian forests of the United States do not communicate with South East Asian jungles, for example. Nevertheless, it is truly a breath-taking biological spectacle which should cause us to stop and realise simply how connected our world already is. We are reminded that in our journey of how2behuman, part of our path lies in learning from the world around us.

[1] Wood wide web: Trees' social networks are mapped - BBC News <Date accessed: 24/07/2025>