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Boatwright Memorial Library

Peple Lecture

The Edward C. and Mary S. Peple Lectureship on Libraries and Information Science brings to the University of Richmond visiting scholars to speak about issues relating to the library, publications, and related matters among the entire University community.

Finding the Mother Tree

Dr. Simard’s book, Finding the Mother Tree, brings us into the intimate world of trees, in which she brilliantly illuminates incredible truths—revealing that trees and forests are complicated, social, interdependent creatures connected through underground networks that communicate strength and vulnerabilities. She shows just how fascinating trees are, in the ways they learn and adapt their behaviors, remember the past, have agency about the future, and even compete and cooperate with a sophistication typically ascribed to humans. Dr. Suzanne Simard demonstrates to readers and live audiences alike why her research on these vital networks of biodiversity is a cornerstone in understanding our relationship with the natural world and how these bonds enable our survival.

Bibliography

The following are a list of selected articles authored or coauthored by Suzanne Simard. Select an article to access it in OneSearch

Larocque, A., & Simard, S. W. (2023). Legacy of salmon-derived nutrients on riparian soil chemistry and soil fertility on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 6, Article 1010294.
McMahen, K., Anglin, C. D. ('Lyn), Lavkulich, L. M., Grayston, S. J., & Simard, S. W. (2022). Small-volume additions of forest topsoil improve root symbiont colonization and seedling growth in mine reclamation. Applied Soil Ecology, 180, Article 104622.
McMahen, K., Guichon, S. H. A., Anglin, C. D., Lavkulich, L. M., Grayston, S. J., & Simard, S. W. (2022). Soil microbial legacies influence plant survival and growth in mine reclamation. Ecology and Evolution, 12(11), Article e9473. 
Roach, W. J., Simard, S. W., & Snyder, E. N. (2024). Downed woody debris varies with climate and harvesting treatment in Douglas-fir forests of British Columbia, Canada. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 7, Article 1397142.
Robinson, A. J., Defrenne, C. E., Roach, W. J., Dymond, C. C., Pickles, B. J., & Simard, S. W. (2022). Harvesting Intensity and Aridity Are More Important Than Climate Change in Affecting Future Carbon Stocks of Douglas-Fir Forests. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 5, Article 934067.
Simard, S. W. (2022, May). Lives Depend on Forests. National Geographic, 241(5), 15–20. 
Simard, S. W., Pickles, B. J., & Ryan, S. T. (2024). Editorial: Retaining ecosystem legacies in forest management: Effects on forest structures and functions. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 7, Article 1379392. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2024.1379302
Southam, H., Stafl, N., Guichon, S. H. A., & Simard, S. W. (2022). Characterizing the Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Community of Whitebark Pine in Interior British Columbia: Mature Trees, Natural Regeneration and Planted Seedlings. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 4, Article 750701.

Suzanne Simard is the world’s leading forest ecologist. A Professor of Forest Ecology at the University of British Columbia, she currently leads The Mother Tree Project, a field-based research project dedicated to investigating forest renewal practices that will protect biodiversity, carbon storage and forest regeneration as the climate changes. She has presented her work on three TED talks and several other TED Experiences, garnering over 10 million views worldwide. In her talks on the importance of caring for the natural world, Dr. Simard explains how trees communicate with each other, the necessity of protecting our forests against climate disaster, and what we can do as individuals and organizations to preserve our planet’s most crucial forms of life.

Dr. Suzanne Simard’s work has been published widely, with over 170 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Ecology, and Global Biology, and she is the co-author of the book Climate Change and Variability. Her research has been communicated broadly through TED Talks and TED Experiences, as well as articles and interviews in The New Yorker, National Geographic, The Globe and Mail, NPR, CNN, CBC, and many more.