Journal Article

Experience teaches plants to learn faster and forget slower in environments where it matters

Mancuso, Stefano, Gagliano, Monica, Renton, Michael, Depczynski, Martial

2014

Overview

The nervous system of animals serves the acquisition, memorization and recollection of information. Like animals, plants also acquire a huge amount of information from their environment, yet their capacity to memorize and organize learned behavioral responses has not been demonstrated. In Mimosa pudica—the sensitive plant—the defensive leaf-folding behaviour in response to repeated physical disturbance exhibits clear habituation, suggesting some elementary form of learning. Applying the theory and the analytical methods usually employed in animal learning research, we show that leaf-folding habituation is more pronounced and persistent for plants growing in energetically costly environments. Astonishingly, Mimosa can display the learned response even when left undisturbed in a more favourable environment for a month. This relatively long-lasting learned behavioural change as a result of previous experience matches the persistence of habituation effects observed in many animals.

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag,Springer,Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: analytical methods / Animal and plant ecology / Animal, plant and microbial ecology / Animals / BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY / Behavioral ecology - Original research / Biological and medical sciences / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Ecology / Environment / Epigenetics / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / General aspects / Habituation / Hydrology/Water Resources / Learning / Learning experiences / Leaves / Life Sciences / Light / Memory / Mental stimulation / Mimosa / Mimosa - physiology / Mimosa pudica / nervous system / Neurons / physiology / Plant Leaves / Plant Leaves - physiology / Plant Sciences / Plants