Rebooting the wood-wide web

WHEN wandering through the forest we see individual trees standing tall and independent with their majestic crowns of leaves and branches reaching skyward. But hidden away in the dark depths of the soil beneath our feet is a vast and complex network “of infinite biological pathways” linking the trees in a community that allows them to exchange resources and signal threats.

The fact that trees communicate and co-operate with each other has been successfully proven in a series of experiments conducted by Canadian Ecologist Suzanne Simard. The trees are not alone, as forest fungi play a pivitol role in building and establishing this wood-wide web of support and communication called the myco-net.

In her famous TED talk ‘How Trees Talk to Each Other’, Simard reveals how she identified the Mother Tree in the forest. The hub tree is usually the oldest and biggest tree and is connected to more trees though the myco-net than any other tree in the grouping. Simard’s research showed how Mother Trees could recognise kin saplings and would supply more resources to them than the nonkin saplings. A dying mother tree can also pass on ‘information’ to the network of trees that would strengthen their resilience and help them endure the threats they were yet to encounter.

It is almost 30 years since those first experiments in the forests of British Columbia and, as Simard says, back then “I truly hoped and believed that my discovery would change how we practice forestry from clear cutting and herbiciding to more holistic and sustainable methods . . . What was I thinking?”

With the advent of climate change and knowing how trees can play a significant role in abating the effects of greenhouse gases, it would appear now that we are ready to listen to Simard’s lesson. When the pupil is ready the teacher will appear.

The Canadian Government in 2016 awarded $1 million in funding to the University of British Columbia and Suzanne Simard to develop logging and planting practices that would work intelligently with the forest network, helping to preserve its inherent resilience. According to Simard: “We will develop strategies for helping forests remain healthy, vigorous and adaptive as climate changes into the future.”

There is a new worldwide drive to plant trees, to reboot our wood-wide web. The UN has set a target to restore 350m hectares of forestry by 2030. China plans to plant forests the size of Ireland and India is set to plant 13m hectares. Thankfully, the realisation has dawned that trees represent a greater value to our world than just their timber. Forests reduce the risk of flooding, help keep soils moist, improve biodiversity and act as carbon sinks. Agro-forestry is of growing significance in the world of farming. Near Peterborough in England, farmer Steve Briggs is growing 125 acres of organic oats between strips of apple trees. Steve reports how the trees reduce wind erosion of his soil, improve water retention and support biodiversity.

Celebrating our forests at home is marked by National Tree week which takes place from March 4th – 11th. To find out how you can make a contribution to restoring Ireland’s tree cover check out www.treecouncil.ie or contact the Environment Section of Kerry Co. Council at 066 7162000 to avail of saplings supplied by the Tree Council of Ireland for planting.