The Tree No One Heard

Anna C. Buchanan

Outline

1. Introduction

2. Thesis Statement

3. Purpose

4. Narrative

5. Reviews of Data and Scientific Publications

6, Summary

7. Conclusion

8. Glossary

9. Bibliography

Introduction

I’m exploring the premise that “if a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?” It’s probable that more frequently than not, the assumption has been made that in those circumstances, the tree will not make a sound.

Further, the use of the term “no one,” infers that a person or human must be present in order for the sound to be heard. “We use ‘no one, nobody, nothing and nowhere’ to refer to an absence of people, things or places.” No one, nobody, nothing, nowhere – Cambridge Grammar. In the context of this essay, there are no humans/people present.

The obvious question which needs to be answered is “What is sound?” In my initial research about that question, I learned that sound is perceived as a vibration and then converted to signals such as mechanical… https://www.com/nature/can-plants-hear.hmtl  I also learned that “All sounds are caused by vibrations.”https://www.thenational.academy/teachers/programmes/science-secondary-ks3/units/sound-light-and-vision/lessons/sound-vibrations#lesson-details

Thesis Statement

To begin, I took note of a summary of research findings taken from the book, Vibrational Communication in Animals, written by Peggy S.M. Hill, and published by Harvard University Press. 5/30/2008. “Many organisms readily detect vibrations transmitted through the ground or other substrates.” https://www.amazon.com/Vibrational-Communication-Animals-Peggy-Hill/dp/0674027981.

“The substrate may be the earth, a plant stem or leaf, the surface of a body of water, a spider’s web, a honeycomb, or any of the myriad types of soil substrates.” https://en.wikipedia>Seismic_communication. In short, animals, mammals, birds, etc., experience sound through a vibration sound system. Thus, “Seismic or vibrational communication is a process of conveying information through mechanical (seismic) vibrations of the substrate.” https://en.wikipedia>Seismic_communication

From a personal viewpoint, I take the position that there are actually a multitude of listening audiences to the experiences and sounds of nature’s domain. (In the context of this essay, the audience will always refer to the listeners.)

I needed to know these facts before I could proceed with a logical progression of thought, such as what is the audience, if not a person or a group of people?

The key points of this paper – vibrational communication and how most species perceive sound – have been conducted by scientists and their fact based, well documented conclusions have been published in scientific journals and books. Many of these findings confirm my position that sound is everywhere and that all life forms can hear sound through the many different modalities of a complex and intricate network of vibrational communication. (Reference to all lifeforms excludes humans/people.)

Based on the scientific body of knowledge that already exists regarding vibrational communication and hearing, I assert that “if a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one around to hear it, ….” it will make a sound that will be heard.

Purpose

The topic here that needs to be addressed is “If a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Again, regarding this topic, the initial questions are what is sound and how is it heard? My preliminary research establishes that sound is perceived as a vibration and then converted to signals such as mechanical… https://www.com/nature/can-plants-hear.hmtl 

Therefore, it is logical to surmise that since sound is everywhere, vibrations are like a conduit or transmitter of sound.

Thus, the primary purpose of this research is to establish a truism regarding the scientific validity of vibrational communication and how it forms the network of communication throughout the world of most living things.

Essential and significant research has been conducted to show the connection between vibrational communication and the numerous modalities that allow the production of sound to flow through all species that have the capacity to utilize their sensory receptors to pick up sound and to hear what is occurring in their own uniquely specific environment.

The contribution or relevance of this research to science is that it should facilitate any future investigations regarding vibrational communication and how all living things hear or perceive sound.

I always try “to think outside the box” when an opportunity such as investigating the philosophical topic presented for investigation within this research essay. This is an exploratory way of thinking that facilitates an objective thought process and additionally drives the engines of creative thinking to find new approaches and solutions to age-old queries and experiments.

Narrative

A Day In The Life of a Tree

I approach most subjects when an explanation is required by telling a story to make the key points more identifiable to the reader or listener. When I was asked “If a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?” I decided that I’d like to share a story about a day in the life of a tree.

It’s the beginning of a bright new day and nature is just waking up to all of the wonders that it brings with it. If you’ve ever listened to all of the early morning noises, they probably begin with one bird singing, then shortly after the first response is heard, you’ll hear another one join in and then another until it becomes a chorus.

Similarly, other wildlife creatures soon joined the morning song of the birds, that is, dogs, cats, crickets, katydids, and the long, lonely-sounding howl or low growl of some other animal. These sounds “actually represent conversations between animals,”and various species. https://www.beforetheflood.com/how-animals-communicate-through-sound/

As I listened to this symphony of nature, I observed certain occurrences. Birds were roosting in the trees and squirrels were precariously leaping and landing on various tree limbs. I also caught sight of several cats sprawled on my neighbor’s lawn. What I enjoyed the most was when I glimpsed the occasional cardinal or red bird to which they are very often referred.

A car whizzed by and the driver honked his car horn in greeting to a passing driver. A truck backfired and the peace of the morning was disturbed. Suddenly, the birds that had been roosting in the trees were all atwitter and took flight; the squirrels scampered from one tree branch to the next and on to the next tree in search of a place of safety.

The sprawling cats quickly became poised for flight and disappeared into the bushes away from the perceived presence of danger. It was apparent that I was not the only audience (which “is a group of listeners or spectators”)to nature’sspectacle. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audience.

What I had just experienced through this neighborhood city view was like looking through a kaleidoscope from end to end. The view was not limitless but instead was only a microcosm of all things big and small: nature’s critters and other living things.

Step away from this scene for a moment and imagine a day that is filled with the view of all living things such as the climbing vines of plants, the sounds of unnamed critters, and the slithering of a snake onto the branch of a tree, any tree.

I closed my eyes and let my senses take over as I imagined all of the smells, sounds, and scents of a forest where one tree stood taller than all of the others. The day was sunny and bright and in the places where the sun shone through the leaves of the trees, it created a dappled effect. The ground of the forest was densely covered with wildflowers and other vegetation: honeysuckles grew in abundance. It was a paradise for the hummingbirds and all other feathered creatures.

As if that were not blissful enough, many little bugs such as fireflies flitted about making the forest look like a page taken from a fairy tale. What a feast the abundance of insect life would provide the little hummingbirds; and, the trees would provide perfectly safe hiding places for the beautiful, little creatures of the forest when they sensed danger and scurried for cover.

Many of them had already made homes in particular places that provided safe cover and these residents of the forest would return to the same familiar habitat such as a particular bush, a hole in the ground, or very often a particular tree. The tallest tree in the forest was also the oldest tree and had long been home to many of God’s creatures.

The tree is purposeful and is designed to withstand the elements through the passage of time. But through the ages, nature’s elements might have proven to be too much for this particular, once mighty tree.

This tree has provided a nesting place for small birds as well as larger birds – which can be birds of prey. Many of these inhabitants are nestled in the curve of its branches while some sleep securely within its trunk. Orioles and woodpeckers have built their nests in this slowly rotting tree; other animals like squirrels and monkeys have done the same. On occasion, the treacherous snake has sought shelter in the tree to hide from its predators. In this regard, the tree is a friend to the many and various inhabitants of the forest.

But, detracting from the beauty of it all is the imminent danger of this same tree that was making its slow descent to the ground. What would cause this mighty tree to fall? The unhealthy conditions of its branches and trunk had weakened it and it would eventually fall.

There are a multitude of conditions that may have caused the tree to have become sickly and would then cause it to fall because of its weakened state: (1) cracks due to injuries caused by physical damage such as frost and wind damage, (2) wood decay, (3) insufficient room for roots to grow or expand which causes uprooting and rot.

The logical deduction is that the birds and other wildlife that inhabit the tree are going to be displaced. But, before that happens, they will “hear” the crackling and tearing noises caused by the vibrations running throughout the tree as it begins its descent.

The hummingbirds have been feeding on the honeysuckles; but, that activity abruptly stops because the plants have perceived an alarm signal that was transmitted through the soil. This altered signal which sends messages about danger has caused the plants to emit a change in taste which was not so sweet as before. Consequently, the hummingbirds that have been feeding on them cease that activity due to their sudden, unpleasant taste.

Likewise, the squirrels that have been inhabiting the tree have become alarmed and subsequently have sent the message to others of its species. During the processes that have caused a change in vibrational-communication that triggered altered signals, the alarm call has been emitted to even the most unlikely life forms, such as the snake(s).

Additionally, the alarm call will go out among the various animals, plants, insects and other organisms even before the once mighty tree falls. Perhaps the signal will begin with the little hummingbird who flutters about frantically and raises the first distress call to its species through the use of “alarm chirps.” What does hummingbird chatter sound like? – Hummingbird101

Eventually, the tree will fall, which will cause a sound of seismic proportions. The earth will tremble and the quiet of the forest will be shattered by the wrenching sounds that the tree has made during its descent.

The early morning symphony of the multitude of forest inhabitants has become a cacophony of sounds that erupted and reverberated throughout the forest. The senders of these distressful sounds have heard, sensed or felt the impact of the fall of the mighty tree, benefactor and friend.

Inevitably, the mighty tree fell and the sound of it crashing to the ground was heard by a multitude of audiences (note that these audiences do not include humans).

“Whatever their shape and size, most living things are able to hear – although they do it in lots of different ways.” How do different animals hear, and what are ears like on other animals? – Fun Kids – the UK’s children’s radio station

Reviews of Data and Scientific Publications

Sound and Vocalization

Many species are able to communicate among themselves through the following methods of sound and vocalization to signals,which represent two of the modes of communication among animals, etc.https://www.animalwised.com/how-do-animals-communicate-with-each-other

Examples of the production of these vocal sounds are uttering, screaming, grunting, growling, howling, screeching, chirping, singing, and the like, which enable animals to interpret sounds and send messages among themselves that can be altered to convey very specific messages. However, all animals do not use vocalization to communicate.

Mechanical Sound

Some animals and invertebrates use non-vocal mechanisms to communicate, that is, they make noise without using their vocal cords. For example, the woodpecker is often heard tapping on trees with its beak to produce a sound. This type of sound production is referred to as mechanical.

Invertebrates such as insects and crabs also make non-vocal sounds via another mechanism called “stridulation which is the act of producing sound by rubbing certain body parts together.” https://today.ucsd.ed/story/scientists-discover-new-method-of-communication-in-crabs.  For instance, crickets rub their wings together to communicate, and crabs use this same process by rubbing their legs together.

Other invertebrates “… like snakes, snails, worms, jellyfish, sharks, butterflies, and octopuses have evolved alternative methods to communicate that involve mechanical sounds or visual displays. Each animal’s unique communication methods contribute to their survival, social interactions, and successful reproduction.” Animals that Make Vocal Sounds and Mechanical Sounds – Nature Blog Network

Sensory Biology

Another way that animals and other species communicate is through what is known as “sensory biology” which refers to an understanding of the sensory system and how a species perceives its environment. https://en.wikibooks.org. Scientific findings support and acknowledge that most animals and other organisms use this unique process in order to communicate.

Reviews ofData and Scientific Publications

Differences Between Sound and Vocalization

and Sensory Biology

Are there differences between sound and vocalization and sensory biology? Yes, and they are noted as follows: sound and vocalization pertain to the vocal production of sound, while sensory biology refers to the response to cues and signals from the environment through the skin and other sensory organs.

Chemical Signals

Additionally, chemical signals which are also known as pheromones establish the identity of a species of the same class through the secretion of a scent that is distinctive to its kind. Not only do pheromones establish identity, but they constitute yet another form of communication among each species. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheromones.

“Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavior of the receiving individuals. There are alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheromones.

Alarm Call

All of these layers of communication are integral in the sensing or perceiving of an imminent threat or a predator that allows animals to communicate the dangers to one another and to other species through an alarm call which is another kind of interaction between species. https://www.animalwised.com/how-do-animals-communicate-with-each-other.

Summary

By conducting this research, I sought to answer the question “if a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

As I stated earlier in this paper, the use of the term “no one” infers that a person or human must be present for the sound to be heard. “We use no one, nobody, nothing and nowhere to refer to an absence of people, things or places.” No one, nobody, nothing, nowhere – Cambridge Grammar.

What this statement above points out most significantly is that the inferred assumption has been made that there has to be someone – in all likelihood a person – present for sound to be heard. I contradict that assumption based on supporting research findings that are discussed throughout this essay.

Based on my preliminary research regarding sound and how it is received or heard, my fact-based opinion is that “… most living things are able to hear – although they do it in lots of different ways.” How do different animals hear, and what are ears like on other animals? – Fun Kids – the UK’s children’s radio station. Since we know that all species do not have ears, the question is how do they hear?

Having established audiences as those that are able to hear by one mode of communication or another, if we accept the plausibility that vibrational communication produces sound and travels through the air and the ground and various substrates, we know from scientific findings that ultimately sound is heard.

It is important to recognize the intricate layers of the system of vibrational communication among animals, et al, which enables them to communicate the availability of food, locate water sources, and enables them to escape to safety when danger is perceived to be imminent.

As I stated earlier, I have the reviewed supporting summary of research findings conducted by Peggy S.M. Hill and published in her book, Vibrational Communication in Animals in which she states that “Many organisms readily detect vibrations transmitted through the ground or other substrates.” https://www.amazon.com/Vibrational-Communication-Animals-Peggy-Hill/dp/0674027981.

Vibrational communication provides a multi-layered network of modalities that facilitate the hearing of sound as well as the production of sound. To be clear, sound is everywhere and it reaches a vast array of animal species as well as mammals, organisms, plants, birds, etc.

My understanding of the process logically leads to the awareness that there is a sender on one end of the sound and a receiver on the other end. Ultimately, sound is heard and the resultant messages are communicated through the various modalities of vibrational communication.

Examples of vibrational communication are:

Sound and Vocalization

Mechanical Sound

Sensory Biology

Chemical Signals

Alarm Calls

All of the examples listed above have been previously described throughout this document.

Conclusion

“Whatever their shape and size, most living things are able to hear – although they do it in lots of different ways.” How do different animals hear, and what are ears like on other animals? Fun Kids – the UK’s children’s radio station.

As I reviewed the research data that I had collected regarding the production of sound and how it is transmitted and heard, new revelations were divulged to me about this age-old question concerning sound. And, it occurred to me that some of the listeners have ears and others do not. So, how does the latter group hear sound?Furthermore, the same question must be asked of each species.

For the sake of this discussion, I will use birds simply as one example to describe how hearing occurs in a species other than humans. For instance, scientific research has confirmed that birds have ears, but exactly how do birds hear or perceive sound? “It has been discovered “that birds are able to localize … sounds, namely by utilizing their entire head.” Findings were published in PLOS ONE journal. https://phys.org/news/2014-12-birds-external-ears.html

It is a fact that birds pick up sound the same as many other species and that is through the vibrations in the air; even though their ears are quite different from those of humans, when the vibrations have been received in the eardrums these birds are able to pinpoint the direction that the sound is coming from; to reiterate, this function is called “localizing” the sound. https://phys.org/news/2014-12-birds-external-ears.html. But inquiring minds want to know exactly how do birds localize sound? They recognize sound by turning their head in every direction until the source of the sound is discovered and fixed.

The emphasis in this research essay is about vibrational communication and how it facilitates hearing in most living things which includes the avian species as previously mentioned, mammals, reptiles and many other species. Vibrational communication is a keypoint of this research document and it closely aligns with how other species – that are not humans – hear and communicate among their own kind.

Another example of how different species perceive sound is plants. Having confirmed that sound is everywhere and is picked up by all manner of living things as it travels through air, water and land, then based on that concept, it is noted accordingly that “Plants hear sound through the vibrations that sound makes,” which they sense through a medium such as water, air or soil. https://masterbotanist.com/do-plants-hear. This position was also attested to in the article How Do Plants and Animals Perceive Sound?, published by Science ABC.

“Some people may think, how can [plants] hear or smell?” one of the study authors Marine Veits told National Geographic.”I’d like people to understand that hearing is not only for ears.” David Nield, “Nature.” January 16, 2019. Plants May Not Have Ears, But They Can ‘Hear’ Way Better Than We Thought: ScienceAlert.

Another fact about plants is that plants know how to defend themselves. “Botanists have long known plants are capable of sensing their environments and responding to them. They can grow differently in response to shade or drought, or release noxious chemicals to fend off predators, even as a caterpillar is mid-way through chewing on a leaf.” When Plants Sense Danger, They Cry Out With Calcium.

I deliberately mentioned how plants “hear” because of the relevance to an earlier statement regarding substrates and the way that the vibrational communication system produces and transmits sound to them. This mention of plants is significant as an example of the process that is involved in how other species that do not have ears are able to perceive sound, as in hear it.

Let’s note, too, that trees are an essential part of the vegetative species. “Trees are an important part of Earth’s ecosystem. They provide shade, fruit, and shelter for many animals.” 47 Animals that live in Trees (A to Z List +Pictures) – Fauna Facts.

Based on the scientific evidence and studies of vibrational communication among animals and sensory biology which pertains to how they perceive their environment(s), I believe that most animals, organisms, and a vast number of other species can perceive sound and respond to the signals and cues that are received by them in their distinctive ways.

Thus, if we accept the plausibility that vibrational communication produces sound and travels through the air and the ground and various substrates and that ultimately that sound is heard, the following is a sound conclusion that refutes the premise:

“If a tree falls in a forest and there’s no one around to hear it” the default position becomes “The Tree No One Heard.”

Significant scientific research has been conducted to prove that there are “ears” everywhere in nature. Thus, I conclude that if the tree falls in a forest and there’s no one around, it will make a sound that will be heard by all of the forest animals, organisms, and most other living things.

Glossary

Definitions of the types of communication among classes of animals, insects, and other wildlife species

1. Alarm calls: These are sounds that indicate the presence of a predator or any danger.

2. Amplification of sound frequency: Refers to the significance of frequency, amplitude, wave-length.

3. Amplification of vibrations: Plants may use sound to communicate with other plants or organisms.

4. Chemical signals: Smell and taste, i.e., “Researchers restrict the use of the word … to describe chemical messages that pass between animals of the same species.”

5. Direct vibration: Vibrations that travel through a medium, such as air or soil.

6. Localized sounds: pinpoint the direction that sound is coming from.

7. Pheromones: Establish the identity of a species of the same class through the secretion of a scent that is distinctive to its kind.

8. Sensory biology: Refers to an understanding of the sensory system and how a species perceives its environment.

9. Sound and vocalization to signals: Auditory communication in animals involves the use of sound to convey information. Examples include vocalizations such as chirps, growls, or songs.

10. Vibrations that travel through a medium, such as soil or air. Also known as sound- waves.

11. Vibrational communication: Experiencing sound through a complex, vibrational sound system

Bibliography

1. No one, nobody, nothing, nowhere – Cambridge Grammar

2. https://www.com/nature/can-plants-hear.hmtl

3. https://www.thenational.academy/teachers/programmes

4. https://www.amazon.com/Vibrational -Communication-Animals-Peggy-Hill

5. https://en.wikipedia>Seismic_communication

6. https://en.wikipedia>Seismic_communication

7. https://www.com/nature/can-plants-hear.hmtl

8. https://www.beforetheflood.com/how-animals-communicate-through-sound/

9. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audience