Lessons for soil from the mother tree and how trees communicate | Suzanne Simard | Nobel Conference

Dr. Suzanne Simard presenting at the 54th annual Nobel Conference (Living Soils: A Universe Underfoot) at Gustavus Adolphus College in 2018. Simard is Professor of Forest Ecology, University of British Columbia, featured in the documentary “Intelligent Trees.” Simard introduced the concept of a “mother tree,” the hub of a network of trees that communicate with each other through mycorrhizal relationships--connections facilitated by microscopic fungi in the soil. Simard discusses her own scientific journey to understand how trees use these relationships to communicate about food sources, and about pests and other dangers. She also shares lessons for the soil from the mother tree: balance, awareness, connection, respect, reciprocity, kinship, responsibility, complexity and resilience. #soil #soilhealth #nobelconference #scienceandethics #citizenscience #science The Nobel Conference: Science and Ethics, in Dialogue Since 1965, the Nobel Conference has been bringing leading researchers and thinkers to Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota, to explore revolutionary, transformative and pressing scientific issues and the ethical questions that arise alongside them. As the only event in the United States authorized by the Nobel Foundation in Stockholm, Sweden to use this name, it is our privilege to host a space in which we can talk about big scientific questions, and the big ethical issues to which they inevitably give rise. The world needs more people who think critically about the crucial issues of our time, and who ask questions in ways that open up the conversation. Find us at https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference Follow us on Facebook at   / nobelconference   Follow us on Twitter at   / nobelconference