What did Suzanne Simard’s forest research find? Why is it important to research forests?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In her book Finding the Mother Tree<\/em>, Suzanne Simard explains how she had a hunch that trees in a forest don\u2019t grow in a monoculture (a single species growing alone). This prompted Simard\u2019s thought that the forests might be more cooperative than competitive.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Check out the results of Simard’s forest research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n When Simard left the logging industry and took her first job with the Forest Service, her supervisor was supportive of her ideas and assigned her to conduct forest research on what was called the \u201cfree-to-grow\u201d policy. This policy was based on the premise that clear-cutting tracts of forest was the best way to ensure that the growth of cultivated trees would be unimpeded by competitor species. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In experiments with different tree species, Simard killed \u201ccompetitor\u201d trees with glyphosate (aka Roundup<\/em>), a chemical that can target some plants while leaving others unharmed. In all her experiments, she found that killing off the \u201ccompetition\u201d had no benefit for the \u201cfree-to-grow\u201d species. And in most cases, it was detrimental.<\/strong> Her findings consistently suggested that tree species growing together aid one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To examine the competition theory, Simard\u2019s first forest research experiment involved eliminating alder trees that were presumed to compete for water and nutrients with cultivated pine trees. Her job was to compare how pines grew in clear-cut plots versus in plots mixed with alder. While the pines in the clear-cut area did better initially, Simard found they didn’t thrive alone long term, for three reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next experiment Simard conducted with the Forest Service involved a project to eliminate birch trees, which were perceived as competitors of the more valued Douglas fir trees. Again, Simard set out to show that there was likely some cooperation involved between the species. Her experiment results showed cooperation in two forms:<\/p>\n\n\n\nSimard\u2019s Forest Service Research<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Alder Contribute to Pine Growth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Birch Contribute to Fir Health<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n