When you watch TV programs about wild animals,it is surprising to see how an antelope (羚羊) can run away from a strong lion.In the wilderness,everyone has his own way to protect himself.Even plants have their own ways to fight off enemies.
Over millions of years,plants have developed their own defense system (防衛(wèi)系統(tǒng)).Chemicals are fantastically used by plants to survive (幸存).By making their leaves,flowers,roots and fruits poisonous (有毒的) to enemies,plants can fight back.
One such plant is the Golden Wattle tree.The British scientist David Cameron has found when an animal eats the tree’s leaves,the amount (數(shù) 量) of poison increases in the other leaves.“It’s like the injured leaves telephoning the others to fight together against the enemy,” he said.
The tree also sends defense messages to neighboring plants by giving out a special smell.Golden Wattle trees in the nearby 45 meters will get the message and produce more poison within 10 minutes.Now,if an enemy eats too many of the trees’ leaves,he will die.
Every kind of plant or tree is good at producing a special set of chemicals.Herbivores,like rabbits,can safely eat the leaves of one tree,but they may be poisoned by its neighbor.
In this way,plants have not only developed their own defense system,but also shared it with others.This makes it impossible for a single animal to destroy even a small area of forest.
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