Talking It Through: A Story of Discovery about Tree Communication through Mycorrhizal Networks
On Friday, October 16 join Suzanne Simard, Ph.D, forest ecologist at the University of British Columbia, for a featured talk on “Mycorrhizal Communication in Forests.” The talk is sponsored by the Eugene Natural History Society at its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. at 100 Willamette Hall on the University of Oregon campus.
Suzanne Simard is a Professor of Forest Ecology in the Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences at the University of British Columbia. There she teaches courses in forest and soil ecology, and complex adaptive systems. Her research program focuses on natural and anthropogenic disturbance and climate change effects on the structure, function and resilience of forest ecosystems. She specializes in examining feedbacks and communication between plant and soil communities (particularly mycorrhizal fungi) and how these regulate energy and information flow (such as carbon and nutrient cycling) in ecosystems as complex adaptive systems.
About the Eugene Natural History Society (ENHS)
Since its inception in the early 1940s, ENHS has served as a coordinating group for the sharing of knowledge and experiences concerning various fields of natural history among its members. The phrase “Natural History” refers to an inquiry into the workings of the natural world and includes such topics as plants, animals (including humans), geology, anthropology, astronomy, ecology, conservation and other subjects related to earth’s natural environments.
ENHS sponsors a monthly program meeting highlighted by a lecture from a distinguished speaker on one or more aspects of Natural History. These talks educate our membership and the general public about the inhabitants, characteristics, and conditions of the animate and inanimate features of our natural environments. Recent lectures have covered a broad range of interesting topics including the Anthropology and archeology of the Tibetan peoples, elephant seals of the Oregon coast, Antarctic exploration, and the history of forest fires and climate change in Yellowstone. These free-of-charge meetings are open to the public and, with one exception in December, take place on the third Friday of each month from September through June at 7:30 PM in 100 Willamette on the University of Oregon campus. See upcoming lecture schedule. ENHS also offer occasional field trips that emphasize observation and nature study related to the topic of the monthly lecture series. The ENHS newsletter, Nature Trails, is published 9 times a year.
