Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest

It has been two months since Simard fought with her brother Kelly at the bar, and neither has reached out to the other to repair their relationship. Simard begins the research experiment that will define her doctoral degree with the help of her research assistant, Barb. Simard aims to study the relationship between birch trees, generally regarded as weeds in the logging industry, and Douglas firs; she hopes to prove that the two species cooperate rather than compete with one another for resources. Simard and Barb use a clear-cut near Adams Lake in Canada for the experiment. They tent clusters of birch and fir to regulate a scale of available sunlight, which will impact the plant’s ability to photosynthesize. Simard believes it is possible to prove “that birch and fir might trade sugar through mycorrhizal fungi” if the amount of sunlight they receive decreases (144). She will use radioactive isotopes of carbon injected into the firs and birches to track the movement of resources between the two plants. Her research goes against the aims of the logging industry and policymakers; if she proves that the two species cooperate with each other, Simard will be responsible for stopping “the madness of the wholesale removal of plants” (153).