These trees in Ecuador are reportedly 'walking' up to 20 metres per year, (but...)

Ruestz

The Ents are going to war (maybe).

They might lack the ability to launch a war against the forces of Isengard, or converge for a meeting about what to do about some pesky hobbits, but a species of tree in a remote section of Ecuador can, reportedly, walk.

You heard that right, there’s a very real species of palm tree, Socratea exorrhiza, that can grow new roots to 'sidestep' its way to better soil. And not just a little sidestep, either. These mobile trees can travel about 20 metres a year, according to Karl Gruber from the BBC. Or, that's how the legend goes, but is it true?

It seems like a pretty simple question to answer, but it's so much more complicated than you might expect. Some reports, like Gruber’s, claim that the famed trees 'walk' by sprouting new roots, which allows them to sort of sidestep their way very slowly through the forest. 

But according to a 2005 paper by biologist Gerardo Avalos, the trees, which do produce new roots on occasion, stay firmly planted in one space. Just because they sprout new roots, doesn't mean they use them to move around.

"My paper proves that the belief of the walking palm is just a myth," Avalos told Live Science’s Benjamin Radford. "Thinking that a palm tree could actually track canopy light changes by moving slowly over the forest floor … is a myth that tourist guides find amusing to tell visitors to the rainforest."

So why all the confusion? It all seems to stem (sorry) from the tree’s unique root system.

Unlike other trees that have roots fully hidden underground, the walking palm trees have a higher root system that starts near the bottom of their trunks. This leaves the trees looking more like an upright broom than an actual tree. Over time, as soil erodes, some of these roots die off, and new roots form.

So the question is: do these new roots eventually shift the tree’s location? All signs sadly point to no. 

The walking palm, as cool as it sounds, is probably something cooked up by tour guides to add a bit of spice to their lecturing - a conclusion that is furthered by the fact that, if you do a quick search, there aren’t any time-lapse videos of one of these trees 'walking', but a tonne of videos of people saying they do.

While it's disappointing for those of us who really want to believe in the idea that a tree can have some form of mobility other than growing towards the light, there are plenty of plants that do, in fact, move. Take the flytrap, that eats small insects by chomping down on them, or Mimosa pubica - also known as the 'sensitive plant' - that recoils at a touch.

So until someone can either document the walking trees on the move or publish a paper describing them, we have to follow the evidence that says they stay put.

ORIGINAL: Science Alert

By JOSH HRALA

23 APR 2016

"Exposed: The Secret Life of Roots" US Botanic Garden

East Gallery

February 21 through October 13, 2015

Hidden Treasures

Plant roots are vital components of the earth's ecosystem. They are necessary for all plant growth, including the production of food and nutrients for humans and many other organisms. However, as root systems are out off sight, their beauty and importance often go unnoticed. Exposed: The Secret Life of Roots showcases the presence and importance of roots through visually stunning root representations using the work of agricultural ecologist Dr. Jerry Glover, sculptor Steve Tobin, and photographer Jim Richardson.

Photography and Sculpture

Jim Richardson is a photographer for the National Geographic Society. His photographs in this exhibits capture the disparity in the aboveground and belowground biomass of plants. His series on soil profiles, hung in the Classroom and National Garden (spring through fall), highlight striking differences in global soils and the human struggle to grow food.

Steve Tobin is a celebrated sculptor who specializes in nature-inspired works. Two of his pieces on display spring through fall on the U.S. Botanic Garden grounds, Romeo and Juliet, are bronze casts of tree roots washed out from a riverbank. The other two sculptures are from his Steelroot series.

Roots Exposed

Agricultural ecologist Dr. Jerry Glover studies the importance of healthy soils and their relationship to plants. While working at The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, he helped develop a method of growing and preserving plants.

Plants are grown in "root tubes," 10-foot sections of 12-inch diameter PVC pipe containing a special baked clay material. After removal from the tubes, plants are soaked in a glycerin and water solution to prevent them from rotting. See these preserved plants in the East Gallery.

A bevy of prairie plants and their roots hang at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Photo by Nsikan Akpan 

Up-close and personal with a sorghum root. Photo by Nsikan Akpan.

WiliWili (Erythrina sandwicensis) root at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Photo by Nsikan Akpan

International Year of Soils

Soils are layers of minerals and organic matter that are critically connected to a diverse array of organisms from worms to bacteria. They are the foundation for much of life on Earth and are a crucial component of global nutrient and water cycling. Soils are also fragile and largely non-renewable, and thus their conservation is extremely important. Learn more about soils in the National Garden spring through fall.

Terrace Plantings

The raised beds on the Conservatory Terrace feature living displays of plants found throughout Exposed: The Secret Life of Roots. Highlights include "root" crops (plants grown for their underground roots, leaves, and stems) and native prairie plants. Explore both the dried and live versions (spring through fall) of these prairie plants throughout the Conservatory Terrace and East Gallery.

Plant roots play a vital role for life on earth. They absorb water and nutrients to feed plants, which feed animals and humans, and they anchor soil to prevent erosion. The U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington pays tribute with a new exhibit called “Exposed.” VOA’s Rosanne Skirble digs in for a closer look at what’s going on underground.

ORIGINAL: VOA News & US Botanic GardenBy Rosanne Skirble - VOA News
August 11, 2015