Listen to the Trees, Humans Have A Lot to Learn From Them

 

Nicole Assante

Professor Horgan

HST 401

20^th March 2024

Listen to the Trees, Humans Have A Lot to Learn From Them

              Amidst the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, the songbirds sing a melody from the branches, the soft howl of the wind dances through the trees, and the sun peaks through the gaps in the Douglas Firs and Hemlocks. Despite the hustle and bustle above ground, there is a different song being sung down below. The sounds of a global supply chain; the demand for resources, the transport along highways, and the construction of products. All existing right under our feet, the mycorrhizal network of our earth’s forests.

              Suzanne Simard is a trailblazer in the field of plant communication and intelligence. Once a forester for a Canadian logging company, she is now a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Colombia, battling to preserve Canada’s old growth forests.

              Her research mainly takes place at the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest in British Colombia, Canada. The 5,200-hectare forest (1 hectare is about 2.5 football fields) currently houses 100 active research projects, all delving into the world of forestry. However, Simard’s research focuses on the preservation of “mother trees”.

              Mother trees refer to the elders of the forest. According to Simard, these trees play an integral role in the health of forests. In the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, there are some 400-year-old trees, but most are between 70-120 years old. Mother trees act as the hub for the global supply chain. They maintain the mycorrhizal networks, nurture young saplings with nutrients, and arguably most important for the future, they store carbon.

              The mycorrhizal network is a fungal network that lives amongst tree roots. Mycelium are the tiny legs of larger fungi that live on the roots. It is these organisms that are paramount in allowing trees to communicate with one another. This connection allows trees to share nutrients and water. In a study conducted by Simard in 1997, she used radioactive carbon to show the path of sugars along a mycorrhizal network between two trees. What she found was when one tree was moved into the shade, making it more difficult to photosynthesize, the other tree gave it extra carbon. On average, the root system will spread between 60-100 feet. Mycelium combines with the roots to create a mat-like surface amidst the soil.

              Mother trees tend to be hubs for mycorrhizal networks. In a study conducted by Kevin Beiler, a graduate student under Simard, they mapped an area of 10,000 square feet by testing the DNA of every tree. What they found was the same DNA on the roots of 19 different trees. Many of these trees were either saplings or more established trees. But most importantly, they found that the oldest trees had the most fungal connections. In a different study, it was proven that kin seedlings received more nutrients from their Mother Tree than other seedlings.

              Researchers estimate that nearly 90 percent of Canada’s old growth forests have been cut down. In most cases, the patches of forest are clear cut, leaving only small islands of trees. This effectively ruins the network that forests thrive on. Mother trees are often the first ones to be cut down because of their size. Alongside this, older trees store a large amount of carbon. According to the US Forest Service, a mature tree can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. This carbon is permanently stored in the roots of the trees. When forests are clear cut, ancient carbon sinks are released into the atmosphere.

              Simard’s new goal is learning how our forests will change with climate change. More importantly, how can we preserve the relationship between the forests and their networks. As droughts, hotter weather, and invasive species become more apparent, the hope is that the underground community evolves. In the meantime, it is incredibly important to preserve the underground network that lives beneath our feet. This means changing the ways that humans utilize Earth’s resources and making changes to ensure a sustainable future.            

 

             

             

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Androff, Amy. “Trees Are Climate Change, Carbon Storage Heroes.” US Forest Service, 11 Aug. 2021, www.fs.usda.gov/features/trees-are-climate-change-carbon-storage-heroes#:~:text=In%20one%20year%2C%20a%20mature,atmosphere%2C%20like%20fire%20or%20decomposition.

Beiler, Kevin J. “Architecture of the Wood-Wide Web: Rhizopogon Spp. Genets Link Multiple Douglas-Fir Cohorts.” 29 Oct. 2009, Accessed 3 Mar. 2024.

Denchak, Melissa. “Want to Fight Climate Change? Stop Clearcutting Our Carbon Sinks.” Be a Force for the Future, 13 Dec. 2017, www.nrdc.org/stories/stop-clearcutting-carbon-sinks.

“Home.” Suzanne Simard, Author and Professor of Forest Ecology, 13 Dec. 2022, suzannesimard.com/.

“The Mother Tree Experiment.” The Mother Tree Project, 3 Feb. 2020, mothertreeproject.org/mother-tree-experiment/.

Price, Karen. “Conflicting Portrayals of Remaining Old Growth: The British Columbia ...” Canadian Science Publishing, 5 Apr. 2021, cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full/10.1139/cjfr-2020-0453.

“Research.” Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, 23 Nov. 2022, www.mkrf.forestry.ubc.ca/research/.

Suzanne Simard Is on a Crusade to Save “mother Trees” for the Climate ..., www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/interactive/2022/suzanne-simard-mother-trees-climate/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2024.

“Underground Networking: The Amazing Connections beneath Your Feet.” National Forest Foundation, www.nationalforests.org/blog/underground-mycorrhizal-network. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.