treeswho

Treeswho is a term used in speculative biology and environmental philosophy to describe a hypothetical, forest-spanning organism or collective in which trees exhibit agency and coordinated behavior beyond standard individual physiology. The name combines 'trees' with the pronoun 'who' to emphasize identity and sentience at a community level. It is not a scientifically recognized taxon, but a thought experiment that explores how forest communities might function if trees could participate in decision making and resource allocation at scale.

Concepts and mechanisms: Proponents imagine treeswho as a networked system arising from extensive mycorrhizal connections, chemical signaling, and resource sharing. In such models, trees could respond to pest outbreaks, drought, or nutrient scarcity through rapid, distributed communication, effectively behaving as a single ecological entity during stress periods. Debates center on whether this implies true sentience or emergent properties of complex networks, and what ethical implications would follow if non-human organisms are understood as agents with interests.

Uses and influence: In literature, art, and later education, treeswho serves as a metaphor for collective resilience and interdependence. It is also used to illustrate principles of forest ecology and to provoke discussion about conservation, rights of nature, and the responsibility of humans to steward interconnected ecosystems.