Passage:
In plant ecology, the common mycorrhizal network (CMN) hypothesis posits that subterranean fungal hyphae interconnect distinct plant root systems, facilitating the inter-plant transfer of carbon and signaling molecules. Proponents argue that mature trees leverage these networks to subsidize the energy requirements of shaded saplings of the same species. However, recent empirical trials challenge this cooperative model. While isotopic tracing confirms that carbon compounds do move between plants via fungal conduits, the direction of transfer is determined strictly by concentration gradients and soil moisture differentials rather than kin selection or species affinity. Furthermore, mycorrhizal fungi act not as passive pipelines, but as active consumers, retaining up to eighty percent of the transferred carbon to support their own respiratory and reproductive metabolism. Consequently, when a donor plant experiences severe drought, fungal carbon uptake accelerates relative to inter-plant transport, effectively diminishing net carbon delivery to adjacent receiver plants regardless of their light environment. Thus, what was previously interpreted as altruistic resource sharing between conspecific trees may primarily represent incidental leakage during fungal resource acquisition.
Based on the passage above, evaluate whether the following statement is True or False:
"A shaded sapling connected to a mature tree via a common mycorrhizal network will experience a reduction in net carbon receipt from the network if the mature tree undergoes severe drought."
Cevap: Cevap