The Mother Tree project is investigating forest renewal practices that will protect biodiversity, carbon storage and forest regeneration as climate changes.
This field-based research compares various retention levels of Mother Trees (large, old trees) and their neighbours, as well as regenerating seedling mixtures, in Douglas-fir forests located across nine climatic regions in British Columbia.
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Through their research, Dr. Simard and others have discovered that trees are connected below-ground via a vast fungal network.
Trees use the mycorrhizal network that connects them together to send and receive chemical messages to one another.
Trees interact with their own and other species, including forming kin relationships with their genetic relatives.
As forests become stressed, seedlings are more dependent on mycorrhizal networks for establishment and survival.
Watch this short film produced by filmmaker Bill Heath to learn more about the Mother Tree Project.
WatchThe Mother Tree Project explores how connections and communication between trees, particularly below-ground connections between Douglas-fir Mother Trees and seedlings, could influence forest recovery and resilience following various harvesting and regeneration treatments. The project was designed to explore these relationships across different climates, in order to understand how climate change could influence these processes and affect the outcomes of the treatments.
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Led by Dr. Suzanne Simard, forest ecology professor at the University of British Columbia, the Mother Tree Project brings together academia, government, forestry companies, research forests, community forests and First Nations to identify and design successful forest renewal practices.
Meet the Team
