Scientists detect ultrasonic popping sounds from plants when they are deprived of water – audio

Plants can produce staccato pops when they do not have enough water or suffer a sudden wound, which nearby creatures may respond to, scientists have discovered. Humans cannot hear the ultrasonic sounds emitted from plants that may even help shape their ecosystems.

Scientists recorded sounds produced by tomato and tobacco plants raised in greenhouses. Healthy plants emitted clicks and pops but the sounds came in far more rapid bursts when the plants were deprived of water or had their stems cut