10/12/2025
For decades, forestry experts believed trees were lone competitors, fighting each other for sunlight and soil. But Canadian ecologist Suzanne Simard saw something different. Every time birch trees were cleared from mixed forests, the nearby Douglas firs started to sicken. What if the forest’s strength depended on its hidden connections?
Using carbon isotope tracing, Simard discovered that birch and fir trees are linked underground by vast networks of fungi—the “Wood Wide Web.” Through this network, birch trees can transfer carbon and nutrients to firs, especially when firs are shaded, ensuring that both species survive together rather than compete.
Her work transformed our understanding of forests: they are not just groups of trees, but living communities that share, communicate, and support one another. This discovery continues to shape modern forestry, inspiring more sustainable practices that protect the intricate connections beneath our feet.
Source: Simard, S. W., Perry, D. A., Jones, M. D., Myrold, D. D., Durall, D. M., & Molina, R. (1997). Net transfer of carbon between tree species with shared ectomycorrhizal fungi. Nature, 388, 579–582.
