For centuries, forests were viewed as collections of individual trees competing for resources. However, groundbreaking research over the past few decades has revealed a complex network of communication and resource sharing among trees, dubbed the “Wood Wide Web.”

At the heart of the Wood Wide Web are so-called mycorrhizal fungi, which form symbiotic relationships with tree roots. These fungi extend their thread-like hyphae, feathery filaments making up fungi, far into the soil, connecting different trees and creating a vast underground network.

These fungal networks serve as conduits for the exchange of water, carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrients between trees. The symbiosis is mutually beneficial: trees provide carbohydrates to the fungi, while the fungi enhance the trees' ability to absorb water and nutrients from the soil.