why can't we use similar terms as ours to describe the trees' interactions?
I haven't read the article yet, but presumably because doing so is inaccurate. The inaccuracy isn't a problem for people sufficiently familiar with the topic that they understand the anthropomorphism, but for people new to the topic confusion ensues unbeknownst to them. Natural selection is a classic example of anthropomorphism leading to people not having the slightest understanding of what they're talking about.