Forests trade resources through underground fungal networks

Suzanne Simard's field experiments showed carbon flowing between different tree species through shared mycorrhizal fungi — with older 'hub' trees connected to dozens of others. A forest is less a collection of individuals than a network with a slow metabolism.

— Suzanne Simard et al., Net transfer of carbon between ectomycorrhizal tree species in the field — Nature, 1997; expanded in 'Finding the Mother Tree' (2021)