Thu, October 22, 2020 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM See description. Any forester will tell you that different trees have different value, and that value is generally set by the marketplace. But what if the value of some trees is below ground rather than above it?
This is the central question of The Mother Tree Project, which is providing scientific data to help direct management of forests under a changing climate. Professor Suzanne Simard, the leader of this project, has been researching the below-ground connections among Douglas-fir trees and other plants for over 30 years.
Mother trees are typically the biggest trees in the forest, and they connect to other trees via a vast underground mycorrhizal network. It is well known that these networks allow trees to share resources and even alert each other to threats. Mother trees also support forest regeneration by providing resources to seedlings.
Suzanne’s research has shown that trees become more dependent on mycorrhizal networks when they are stressed, such as in hotter and drier climates. So the Mother Tree Project is experimenting with a range of forestry practices in different climatic regions, to learn how to create more resilient forests for the future.
In this webinar, Suzanne will provide updates on the latest research from The Mother Tree Project, including:
an overview of the project’s nine study locations throughout British Columbia
the project’s “space for time” theory
behaviour of mother trees toward genetically-related and stranger seedlings
the impact of drier climate on Douglas-fir forests
how clearcutting and partial harvesting affect carbon storage and diversity
By the end of this webinar you will have a better scientific understanding of the role of mother trees and the advantages of retaining them during harvesting.