Mother Trees

Below is a link to an interesting book about mother trees, based on work done by Dr. Suzanne Simard, a professor with the University of British Columbia Faculty of Forestry, shared by an Eden By the Bay reader. Dr. Simard researches and lectures on mycorrhizae and mycorrhizal networks, related to tree migration and climate change. She and her students have made discoveries about the networks of mycorrhizal fungal mycelium, which connect tree roots and enable resource sharing in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in British Columbia.

The research asks the question “Do trees communicate?” Using isotopic labeling, two of her students have mapped the interconnections of the plant community through mycorrhizal networks. The research describes the role of “Mother Trees”, where an older tree acts as a hub with other trees in the plant community through mycorrhizal networks. Carbon, nitrogen, and water are transferred from healthy, old trees to seedlings and other trees in the network, improving their chances for survival. Mycorrhizal networks may help forests adapt to climate change, and help with forest succession after disturbances such as fire, insect infestation, or logging. 

To learn more about Dr. Simard and her research, see: Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest.