Suzanne Simard on the wood wide web, connectedness – and Avatar

Forest ecologist Suzanne Simard has spent decades studying how trees communicate and share resources through an underground fungal network, which the journal *Nature* dubbed the 'wood wide web.' In 1997, her research revealed that trees like paper birch and Douglas fir exchange nutrients and sugars, with older, larger trees—dubbed 'mother trees'—acting as central connectors. Simard’s work, published in *Nature*, showed these networks facilitate regeneration and resource distribution based on seasonal needs, such as shading or photosynthetic ability. Her 2021 book *Finding the Mother Tree* popularized these findings, drawing comparisons to James Lovelock’s Gaia hypothesis and sparking public fascination with interconnected ecosystems. However, the book also triggered a backlash from some scientists, who argued that evidence for long-term fungal network persistence was insufficient. Critics claimed her work overstated the importance of cooperation while downplaying competition among trees. Simard, who grew up in a logging family, has dedicated her career to understanding forest ecosystems at the University of British Columbia, where she leads the Mother Tree project. She rebutted criticisms in a 2024 *Frontiers in Forests and Global Change* paper, emphasizing that forests involve multiple interactions, including competition. Her latest book, *When the Forest Breathes*, builds on this research, exploring how trees support not just their own species but other forest organisms through these networks. The debate over the 'wood wide web' began in the late 1990s, with early skepticism from UK researchers questioning the evidence. After *Finding the Mother Tree*, criticism intensified, focusing on gaps in data about fungal network longevity. Simard maintains that her findings highlight the complexity of forest ecosystems, where mother trees play a vital role in sustaining younger trees and the broader environment. Her work challenges conventional views of forests as isolated entities, instead portraying them as dynamic, interconnected communities. While some researchers remain skeptical, Simard’s research continues to influence discussions on sustainable forestry and ecological conservation, particularly in British Columbia’s rainforests.