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Researchers Refute Theory That Trees Anticipated Solar Eclipse of 2022 and Present a Simpler Explanation: Storm and Lightning as Responsible for the Electrical Synchronization Observed in Norway Spruce Forests.
In 2022, researchers observed an unusual electrical synchronization in a Norway spruce forest before a partial solar eclipse. Now, a new theory suggests that the electrical activity was caused by simpler environmental factors, such as a storm, rather than anticipation of the phenomenon.
Unusual Phenomenon in a Spruce Forest
In 2022, a Norway spruce forest (Picea abies) drew scientists’ attention when the trees seemed to “synchronize” their electrical signals before a partial solar eclipse.
This phenomenon was initially interpreted as a collective response of the trees to the astronomical event. However, a subsequent study proposed a more plausible explanation for the observed activity: a combination of environmental factors, such as a drop in temperature and nearby lightning, rather than a reaction to the eclipse.
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The Controversial Study and Its New Explanation
The study that sparked controversy was published in April 2025. It suggested that the trees, particularly the older ones, were anticipating the solar eclipse and preparing for it based on “individual and collective bioelectrical responses.”
However, Ariel Novoplansky and Hezi Yizhaq, ecologists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, refuted this theory.
According to the scientists, the electrical activity observed in the trees was not a response to the eclipse but rather due to a passing storm and electrical activity triggered by local lightning. “To me, [the previous study] represents the infiltration of pseudoscience into the core of biological research,” said Novoplansky, suggesting that the earlier authors overlooked simpler and well-documented explanations for the phenomenon.
Temperature and Lightning as Determining Factors
The researchers point out that storms and lightning are known factors that trigger signaling responses in plants, such as changes in electrical signals. Novoplansky and Yizhaq argue that the drop in temperature and climatic conditions, including nearby lightning activity, were the main factors responsible for the electrical synchronization observed in the trees, not the impending solar eclipse.
The Error in Interpretation of the Original Study
One of the main criticisms made by the ecologists is the methodology of the original study. The study was based on just three trees and five stumps, which makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the response of the entire forest. Additionally, solar eclipses have a limited duration, and their magnitude is very small to cause significant impacts on the physiological processes of trees, such as photosynthesis. The reduction in light during the eclipse was minimal, only about 10.5%, comparable to a cloudy day, and the effect lasted only a few hours.
According to the new researchers, this small variation in light would not justify a collective response from the trees. Furthermore, they emphasize that frequent fluctuations in cloud cover already cause much larger changes in the light available to plants.
The Response of Trees and the Knowledge Transmitted
The study by Novoplansky and Yizhaq suggests that the observed synchronization is not due to a “knowledge” passed down from older trees, but rather a local and immediate response to environmental changes. The idea that an entire forest could anticipate a solar eclipse is untenable, as eclipses are not predictable phenomena based on past experiences.
The Electrical Activity of Trees: An Expanding Field
Despite the controversies surrounding this specific study, research on the electrical activity of trees remains a promising field. Although the phenomenon observed in spruce forests was misinterpreted, findings about the electrical signals of plants and trees offer a fertile ground for future investigations.
Novoplansky emphasizes that the idea that trees could have an anticipatory “memory” or “communication” based on electrical signals should be approached with caution. “The forest is wonderful enough without the need to invent irrational claims,” he concludes.
Research on the phenomenon, published in the journal Trends in Plant Science, is still ongoing, with researchers seeking to better understand the electrical mechanisms in plants and their impact on ecosystems.
This article was based on a study published in the journal Trends in Plant Science, 2026.
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