Living plants ecosystem sensing: A quantum bridge between thermodynamics and bioelectricity

Chiolerio, Alessandro; Vitiello, Giuseppe; Dehshibi, Mohammad Mahdi; Adamatzky, Andrew

Abstract

The in situ measurement of the bioelectric potential in xilematic and floematic superior plants reveals valuable insights into the biological activity of these organisms, including their responses to lunar and solar cycles and collective behaviour. This paper reports on the “Cyberforest Experiment” conducted in the open-air Paneveggio forest in Valle di Fiemme, Trento, Italy, where spruce (i.e., Picea abies) is cultivated. Our analysis of the bioelectric potentials reveals a strong correlation between higher-order complexity measurements and thermodynamic entropy and suggests that bioelectrical signals can reflect the metabolic activity of plants. Additionally, temporal correlations of bioelectric signals from different trees may be precisely synchronized or may lag behind. These correlations are further explored through the lens of quantum field theory, suggesting that the forest can be viewed as a collective array of in-phase elements whose correlation is naturally tuned depending on the environmental conditions. These results provide compelling evidence for the potential of living plant ecosystems as environmental sensors.

Citation

Chiolerio, A., Vitiello, G., Dehshibi, M. M., & Adamatzky, A. (2023). Living plants ecosystem sensing: A quantum bridge between thermodynamics and bioelectricity. Biomimetics, 8(1), 122. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010122

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 11, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Mar 14, 2023
• Publication Date: Mar 14, 2023
• Deposit Date: Apr 25, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 25, 2023
• Journal: Biomimetics
• Electronic ISSN: 2313-7673
• Publisher: MDPI
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 8
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 122
• Series Title: This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members’ Collection Series: Bioinspired Sensorics, Information Processing and Control
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8010122
• Keywords: Molecular Medicine, Biomedical Engineering, Biochemistry, Biomaterials, Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Picea abies, bioelectric potential, electrophysiology, quantum field theory, fractal dimension, Shannon entropy
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10582630
• Publisher URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/8/1/122