[__MatrixMan__]

I disagree. As just one counterexample, consider the mycorrhizal fungal networks that mediate access to nutrients among trees--they've been doing their job without centralized intervention for billions of years.

If it seems like everything that we build is centralized, it might just be that we're bad at building things that last.

[meheleventyone]

Like the Internet? I actually think we could be good at building these sorts of things if we let go of the profit motive for doing so. History shows that we have been.

[quinnjh]

Or bad at building things that decompose...

[user_named]

The tree is the center.

[__MatrixMan__]

These networks handle the exchange of resources (nitrogen, phosphorous, etc) between trees. So far as I know, there's no reason to believe that there's a "leader tree" or anything like that.