Environmental complexity, cognition, and plant stress physiology.

This article focuses on the role of stress physiology in understanding cognition and its evolution across organisms, with particular attention to plant cognition. It argues that while plant cognition differs from animal cognition, comparing physiological and molecular mechanisms across diverse organisms is valuable due to evolutionary continuity and environmental complexity. The concept of stress—encompassing dynamic organism-environment interactions and responses to environmental challenges—is proposed as a useful framework alongside existing theories like Veit's "pathological complexity" thesis for studying cognitive capacities and adaptation. The article emphasizes that all organisms exhibit cognitive capacities related to self-regulation and environmental interaction, though consciousness, especially as experienced by animals, remains distinct and ethically significant.