▁A ▁mother ▁tree ▁supports ▁seed lings ▁by ▁inf ect ing ▁them ▁with ▁fung i ▁and ▁supp lying ▁them ▁the ▁nut ri ents ▁they ▁need ▁to ▁grow . ▁ ▁She ▁discovered ▁that ▁Douglas ▁F irs ▁provide ▁carbon ▁to ▁baby ▁f irs . ▁ ▁She ▁found ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁more ▁carbon ▁sent ▁to ▁baby ▁f irs ▁that ▁came ▁from ▁that ▁specific ▁mother ▁tree , ▁than ▁random ▁baby ▁f irs ▁not ▁related ▁to ▁that ▁specific ▁fir ▁tree . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁found ▁the ▁mother ▁trees ▁change ▁their ▁root ▁structure ▁to ▁make ▁room ▁for ▁baby ▁trees . ▁ ▁In ters pecies ▁Co operation ▁Sim ard ▁found ▁that ▁" fir ▁trees ▁were ▁using ▁the ▁fung al ▁web ▁to ▁trade ▁nut ri ents ▁with ▁paper - b ark ▁bir ch ▁trees ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁season ". ▁For ▁example , ▁tree ▁species ▁can ▁loan ▁one ▁another ▁sug ars ▁as ▁def ic its ▁occur ▁within ▁season al ▁changes . ▁This ▁is ▁a ▁particularly ▁benef icial ▁exchange ▁between ▁decid uous ▁and ▁con ifer ous ▁trees ▁as ▁their ▁energy ▁def ic its ▁occur ▁during ▁different ▁periods . ▁The ▁benefit ▁" of ▁this ▁co oper ative ▁under ground ▁economy ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁better ▁over - all ▁health , ▁more ▁total ▁photos yn thesis , ▁and ▁greater ▁res ili ence ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁disturb ance ". ▁ ▁Science ▁Communic ation ▁Su z anne ▁Sim ard ▁is ▁an ▁advoc ate ▁of ▁Science ▁Communic ation . ▁At ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia ▁she ▁initi ated ▁with ▁colleg es ▁Dr . ▁Julia ▁D ord