DEAR READERS: Below is part of an interview with Hao Yu, a postdoctoral student at the University of Bern, that appeared on Science.org in September. It contains fascinating information about emerging research into how plants communicate.

Hao Yu, to Science.org: "It's well known that plants can release volatile organic compounds when damaged by herbivores, and these compounds can mediate plant-plant interactions. In a way, they 'tell' other plants that there's danger, and the plants that receive them harden their defenses against herbivores. However, after they're released, these compounds can undergo oxidative chemical reactions while they're in the air, forming secondary organic aerosol particles. Our research question was whether the ecological functions of volatiles persist after they become aerosol particles. ...

"Intriguingly, the plant sensing systems appear to recognize the different types of chemical cues. They activate different defense strategies when they perceive volatiles and aerosols. Plants exposed to volatile compounds produce more of their own, which have a direct toxic effect on pests in high concentrations. Meanwhile, aerosols trigger more photosynthesis and the preparation for releasing volatiles, but not their immediate release. Ultimately, the outcome is the same: The plants exhibit similar levels of herbivore resistance.

"It seems that in this way, the plant can determine the distance between itself and danger: Volatiles mean the danger is near, while aerosols mean distant danger. Either way, they initiate a defense strategy. It’s amazing."

Amazing, indeed! To read more about this research, see the study "Biogenic secondary organic aerosol participates in plant interactions and herbivory defense" by Hao Yu et al., published in Science, September 2024.

JOHN MUIR: AN ANIMAL RIGHTS ADVOCATE BACK IN 1913

Famed Scottish-born American naturalist John Muir was certainly one of the first advocates of animal rights, as well as being one of America’s most famed conservationists. Muir wrote that "'only Uncle Sam' could save our country’s land for future generations to enjoy -- an idea that led to the creation of the National Park Service in 1916," per a post on the service's website (nps.gov).

In his 1913 book “The Story of My Boyhood and Youth,” Muir wrote: “Of the many advantages of farm life for boys, one of the greatest is the gaining of real knowledge of animals as fellow-mortals, learning to respect them and love them, and even to win their love. This godlike sympathy grows and thrives and spreads far beyond the teachings of churches and schools, where too often the mean, binding, loveless doctrine is taught that animals have neither mind nor soul, have no rights that we are bound to respect and were made only for man, to be petted, spoiled, slaughtered or enslaved.”

ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE: GORILLAS’ SELF-MEDICATING WISDOM

Analysis of bark crude extracts (BCEs) from plants that lowland gorillas were observed consuming led researchers to conclude: “The plant BCEs showed antioxidant activities with free radical scavenging and antimicrobial activities ... and could be a promising novel source for new drug discovery.”

See the study "Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of plants consumed by western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) in Gabon" by Leresche E.D.O. Yinda et al., published in PLoS ONE, September 2024.

It is worth remembering that our ancestors relied on those in their communities who had an aptitude, even a spiritual calling, to closely observe the animals around them and find safe and nutritious foods and medicinal and psychotropic plants. The animals taught their offspring and taught us.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: The excellent reporting by Hiroko Tabuchi in the Aug. 31 New York Times documents the poisoning of farmland, crops and farmed animals with several PFAS -- aka forever chemicals -- along with the closure of some contaminated farms. These PFAS come from sewage sludge marketed as “biosolids,” used for decades on crops as a fertilizer under the encouragement of the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA is now facing lawsuits, as is biosolids company Synagro. (Full story: New York Times, Aug. 31)

When I was working with farmers and agricultural organizations several years ago on setting national organic standards, I raised the issue of the use of sewage sludge on farms. There was unanimous agreement that, because of contaminants like heavy metals, pharmaceutical products and other chemicals, this sludge should never be used in organic farming systems.

Look for the USDA Organic label on the foods you buy for your family and your animal companions.

PET FOOD RECALL DOCUMENTATION

Susan Thixton of TruthAboutPetFood.com recently posted a look at the last five years of industry recalls. She writes:

“Over the past five years, more than 68 million pounds of kibble were recalled (by the FDA), compared to almost 700,000 pounds of canned pet foods, 120,000 pounds of refrigerated/frozen pet foods, and almost 46,000 pounds of raw.

“The top cause of pet food recalls over the past five years was aflatoxin contamination, involving more than 60 million pounds. This particular contaminant has been poisoning pet foods for decades AND is easily preventable with proper lab analysis. Raw ingredients should be consistently tested, (and) finished pet foods with mycotoxin-prone ingredients should be consistently tested. There is no excuse for these kinds of recalls to continue.

"The second-leading cause was pathogenic bacteria contamination, with more than 8 million (pounds) recalled. The third-leading cause was excess/insufficient vitamins or minerals, with almost 1 million pounds recalled.”

Aflatoxin is a mold in contaminated corn and other grains. Pathogenic bacteria may come from improper handling of condemned animal parts, which are recycled into some pet foods, including the “animal digest” sprayed on kibble to enhance palatability.

For more details, go to TruthAboutPetFood.com.

BIRDS, MAMMALS AT RISK FOR LEAD POISONING FROM AMMO

Bald eagles are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning from ammunition, which they can acquire from feeding on deer carcasses, according to a study in the Journal of Wildlife Management. Researchers compiled a list of more than 30 species of animals that feed on deer carcasses in New York state, and found that the bald eagles were likely to suffer the most -- making them a good sentinel species for monitoring the extent of lead pollution hazards.

Various raptors, corvids, mourning doves, woodpeckers, cardinals and blue jays were on the list of animals found feeding on white-tailed deer carcasses, as were coyotes, bobcats, foxes, squirrels, weasels and skunks. (Full story: Cornell Chronicle, Sept. 11)

It is high time for all states to ban lead shot and fishing lures.

IN MEMORIAM: STEPHAN HARDING

Stephan Harding, a noted British zoologist and ecologist, passed away on Sept. 2. A proponent of holism and the Gaia hypothesis, he was also a founding member of Schumacher College.

Below is a segment of an interview Harding gave to artist and scholar Jan van Boeckel in 2008, which provides a good introduction to his beliefs.

Harding said: “I think one of our chief responsibilities is to develop a deep love of nature. That is one of the most important things we can all do. ... I like what Jung said: 'The answer is not with the collective, it is with the individual.' The individual is the solution. So every person needs to develop a deep love of nature, and one way to do it is to engage actively with nature ... by touching (natural elements), building wooden sculptures for birds, or making rock pools, or gardening. Just anything that connects you with nature once more (is) very important for everybody.

"But the whole culture is moving in the opposite direction. More and more people are moving into the cities. And this is an absolute psychological disaster, both for each human being and for the earth, of course.”

Harding’s concerns are being recognized: A new commission will aim to understand and mitigate the mental health issues triggered by “global environmental mega-trends” such as extreme weather, city living and ecosystem collapse. “The stress, trauma and displacement caused by such environmental adversities will probably increase the prevalence of mental illnesses, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, depression and dementia,” write members of the new commission.

The multidisciplinary group of experts “will provide a roadmap for the next wave of researchers.” See "The Earth, Brain, Health Commission: How to preserve mental health in a changing environment" by Gunter Schumann, et al., published in Nature Mental Health, 2024.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: I want to share with you some of my reflective writings on the subject of restoring our sacred connections to nature -- the topic of my next book. I will include excerpts in upcoming columns as priorities permit. Here is my first offering, which I hope you enjoy.

EXCERPT: "Restoring Our Sacred Connections" by Dr. Michael Fox

The longer that I live, the more I witness the demise of the wild, which younger generations cannot fully appreciate. Seventy-three million birds have been lost in the U.K. over the past 50 years, with 48% of all avian species declining between 2015 and 2020.

When I look back on my childhood, over 80 years ago, I deeply mourn the loss of so much of the life and beauty of the natural world. As a skygazing child, lying in a verdant meadow -- vibrant with butterflies and stridulating insects, with meadowlarks hovering curiously above me, close to the incredible life I found in nearby ponds -- I learned these creatures' ways and names. I came to life; my mind was informed, my spirit was inspired and my whole being was imaginatively entertained. I even received sex education from the frogs in the ponds during the spring breeding season.

It was at that time that I also learned a lesson about my own kind. One day, I found several frogs beside the pond, their guts exploded everywhere, with straws in their mouths from the contiguous wheatfield. In the mud near this carnage, I saw the small boot prints of my peers. In horror, I determined they had caught and blown up these beautiful creatures. I then realized for the first time that some, if not most, of my own kind did not share my worldview regarding our fellow creatures. ...

As a child, I devoutly believed the Christian hymn, “All things bright and beautiful / All creatures great and small ... The good Lord made them all.” At the end of my bedtime prayers, I would add, “And please make me thy true veterinarian.” Years later, when my prayer was granted -- after much hard study and in-field veterinary experience -- I found the profession ethically compromised in its involvement with various animal industries. There were also no courses in animal behavior and emotional problems, which I sought to rectify -- with some success, thanks to the support of others of like mind.

THE IMPORTANCE OF AIR IONIZATION

A study suggests that an abundance of negative air ions (NAIs) produced by vegetation can reduce airborne particulate matter, increase brain serotonin and elevate mood. Positive ions, by contrast, can increase heart rate, blood pressure and metabolic rate, which can lead to unpleasant sensations like headaches, dizziness and fatigue. They can also worsen asthmatic conditions and joint pain, and increase irritability and anxiety.

Positive ions, which displace NAIs, are primarily generated by strong winds, humidity, pollution, electrical storms (particularly before lightning strikes) and electronic devices like TVs, computer monitors, fluorescent lights, air conditioners and power lines.

See the full study: "Negative Air Ions and Their Effects on Human Health and Air Quality Improvement" by Shu-Ye Jiang, et al., published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in 2018.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)