Distinct Fern Thrives on Soil Nutrients Via Dead Zombie Leaves
Fred Zwicky
Typically, when a fern’s leaf fronds die, the plant no longer benefits from them. However, the Cyathea rojasiana fern is an exception. A scientist has identified that its expired fronds transform into “zombie leaves” that absorb nutrients from the soil. Professor James Dalling and his team from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign made this discovery while studying a different plant in a Panamanian forest reserve, observing the unique behavior of the Cyathea rojasiana ferns exclusive to Panama.
A Unique Process Unveiled in Cyathea rojasiana
As the plant’s fronds withered and hung low to the ground after their death, small rootlets emerged at their ends, establishing a connection with the soil. Laboratory experiments later revealed that in such instances, the plant reversed the water flow within these fronds, utilizing them to extract nitrogen from the soil.
Graphic by Camila Pizano, color by Michael Vincent
So, why do other plants not adopt this strategy?
The limited growth rate of Cyathea rojasiana, with an annual increase of just a few centimeters, and the uneven distribution of nutrients in the local soil, necessitate the plant to optimize its growth. Instead of investing energy in developing specialized root structures to seek nutrients that may not reach fertile soil, Cyathea rojasiana efficiently repurposes its existing fronds, originally grown for photosynthesis.
Uncharted Territory in Plant Biology
This unique process, where a plant restructures its own deceased tissue to sustain itself, has not been documented before. According to Dalling, the reason other scientists might have overlooked this phenomenon in Cyathea rojasiana is likely because the fronds simply resemble decaying plant matter.
“This represents an innovative reuse of tissue,” he remarked. “And it differs from the known behaviors of other ferns.”
The findings are detailed in a recently published paper in the journal Ecology. Further details can be found in the accompanying video.
Read the original article on: New Atlas
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