Trees Are Tribal

Mother Nature’s Moment May 2018
by: Lesley Bruce Smith, ISA Certified Arborist 

Forest setting near Lake Michigan, Northern Wisconsin. Photos by Lesley Bruce Smith

The longer we work with trees the more amazed we are at their ability to communicate, not only with us, but with each other.  This seems like a ludicrous idea to many, simply because trees’ ability to communicate is not like our own. They do not use words, yet as we learn more about the way they communicate, it is surprising and often astonishing. They are so much wiser than we think.  For instance, I just recently learned of some research by Suzanne Simard, a Canadian professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia, that revealed “mother trees” actually know who their offspring are and with that knowledge are able to provide nourishment to them during difficult times of drought or stress.  They do this by exchanging carbohydrates through their root systems, prioritizing their own young over other trees of the same species. You have to admit, that is pretty remarkable, but probably only because we were and often remain so ignorant of the ways of trees.  It’s just another way they demonstrate their wisdom.  Trees of other species can also exchange resources.  An amazing demonstration of this is when Douglas Fir trees have been shown to give carbohydrates to their Birch neighbors, which during the early spring of the year have lower reserves, then during the summer when the Birches are sort of hogging the available sunlight = food around the Firs, they give it back to their generous evergreen friends who could use a boost.

A native Bi-Colored Oak in a planting bed with White Pines near by and non-aggressive ephemeral bulbs that grow only in the early spring and then die down and provide nitrogen and other nutrients for the nearby woody plants.

Trees were never meant to live in isolation and seclusion, however, that is exactly what we are constantly asking them to do when we pull them out of their forest environments and stick them in a lawn or next to our homes, offices, roads or sidewalks. Trees are surviving in those settings but they are in no way thriving.  Unlike in the forest where the trees can cooperate and assist one another through the magnificent web of fungal mycelium that connects their roots, they end up having to compete for VERY limited rooting space, available soil oxygen, moisture and life giving food=sunlight.  Our goal is to help trees thrive, because when they do they need much less help from us.  Less help means happier trees and fewer dollars spent caring for them.  Practically speaking  that means trying to group trees together into planting areas with mulched beds.  It means really respecting their needs for light and moisture and company.  When you are planning a new site for a tree be sure to plan with the bigger picture in mind.

If you are interested you can listen to a brief TED talk by Dr Simard by clicking the link below. https://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_simard_how_trees_talk_to_each_other?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare