What if Trees Could Whisper?
Imagine walking through an old forest. Sunlight filters through the canopy. You pause. The air feels alive, not just with birdsong, but with something deeper—something unseen. What if every tree around you was connected, sharing water, warning each other of danger, and even helping their young grow?
This isn’t fantasy. It’s the forest’s underground reality, one that scientist Suzanne Simard spent decades uncovering. Her research revealed that trees are not solitary beings—they're part of a vast, cooperative network held together by fungi. “We found that mother trees nurture their young,” Simard explained. “They recognize them and will even send them more nutrients.” (Simard, 2016, TED Talk)
This network, called the mycorrhizal network, connects trees through fungal threads that carry messages and molecules. It’s been dubbed the "Wood Wide Web," and it challenges everything we thought we knew about trees.
The Hidden World Beneath Our Feet: The Mycorrhizal Network
In Suzanne Simard’s groundbreaking research, she describes the intricate and often invisible communication happening beneath the forest floor. This communication network, which she calls the mycorrhizal network, is not just a lifeline for trees — it’s the very system that connects them, helps them thrive, and even supports their survival in times of stress.
The mycorrhizal network is made up of fungi that connect the roots of trees and other plants. Imagine this network as a vast, underground web of fungal threads, stretching across the soil, connecting plants in a way that is nothing short of extraordinary. Through this network, trees exchange nutrients, water, and even information about potential threats. It’s nature’s own internet, invisible to the human eye, yet crucial to the health of entire ecosystems.
As Suzanne Simard eloquently puts it, "Trees are not solitary beings, but are connected to each other through a network of roots and fungi, exchanging nutrients and supporting each other in ways we are only beginning to understand." (Simard, 2016).
The Role of Randomness in the Simulation Model
"Science is about openness. It is about accepting both the truths of consensus(certainty) as well as unpredictability. By being open to new models, we are being open to what might be." – Anna Dorn, Medium Newsletter Blog Post
The concept of randomness is at the heart of this simulation model, mirroring how nature operates in the most unexpected and chaotic ways. Just like the fungal networks in forests, the processes in our model occur without any strict order or predetermined structure.
In the simulation, the mycorrhizal fungi, represented by the red dots, are not trees themselves but symbols of mycorrhizal spores—randomly appearing and fading in and out of existence. These spores mimic the behavior of fungal spores in real soil, which appear randomly as they spread and grow.
Randomness in the Model: Here are the key processes that happen randomly throughout the network:
Spore Appearance: The red spores fade in and out randomly, without any specific order or timing. This randomness mimics how fungi sporadically emerge in nature.
Spore Placement: Each spore’s placement within the simulation occurs without any pattern. Just like in real-world ecosystems, fungal spores distribute themselves unpredictably across the landscape.
Spore Connections: The connections between spores happen randomly as they move around. As the spores get closer to each other, they randomly form links that stay persistent, creating a web of interconnected fungi.
Cluster Formations: Even the formation of clusters of spores occurs randomly. While some clusters form near the nutrient blobs, others appear away from them, scattered across the simulation. These clusters happen by chance, showing how fungal networks can grow in unpredictable patterns.
Nutrient Blob Placement: The nutrient blobs, which serve as resources for the spores, are randomly placed on the simulation canvas. The placement of these blobs—along with their size and frequency—also occurs randomly, just like how nutrient hotspots are created in soil ecosystems.
Attraction to Nutrients: Fungal spores are randomly attracted to the nutrient blobs. This attraction happens by chance, similar to how fungi in the wild seek out rich, resource-filled areas. However, once a spore approaches a nutrient blob, it forms a persistent connection, creating a lasting bond between spores and nutrients.
The importance of this randomness in the simulation cannot be overstated. In nature, randomness is often the driving force behind the development of intricate networks and ecosystems. The formation of these fungal networks, in particular, follows no strict rules. Instead, they evolve in unpredictable ways, leading to resilient, adaptable systems capable of supporting life in diverse environments.
This fractal-like network of spores mirrors the same branching structures that appear in natural systems, from the way trees grow to the spirals of galaxies. The patterns that emerge from this randomness have an inherent efficiency to them, ensuring that life thrives through interconnectedness, even in the most unpredictable of environments.
By embracing randomness, the simulation provides a more accurate depiction of how natural systems evolve, adapt, and thrive. It showcases the beauty and efficiency that can emerge from what may appear to be chaotic or disordered at first glance.
The fascinating connection between trees, fungi, and the environment didn’t just inspire Suzanne Simard’s scientific work; it also found its way into popular culture, especially in the 2009 blockbuster “Avatar” by James Cameron. In the movie, the “Tree of Souls” is depicted as a massive, sacred tree that connects all life on Pandora through a network of roots and bioluminescent energy.
While the Tree of Souls is a work of fiction, it’s based on the very real phenomena that Simard and other scientists have observed in our own forests. The concept of a living, interconnected network — where each tree can "talk" to others, share nutrients, and even send messages — echoes the principles of the mycorrhizal network. “In the world of Avatar,” Simard says, “you see that connection — it’s not just about survival. It’s about thriving together. It’s an understanding of how ecosystems function in a truly cooperative way.” (Simard, 2016).
In this sense, the mycorrhizal network is not just a scientific discovery. It’s a glimpse into how the natural world works together, supporting each other in ways that we are only beginning to understand. It’s no wonder that it captured the imagination of filmmakers and scientists alike.
Bringing the “Forest Internet” to Life
Our simulation model aims to provide a deeper understanding of how this "forest internet" works, focusing on the randomness and unpredictability of the system. By using simple algorithms to generate random node placements and nutrient flows, we can visualize how trees connect and exchange resources in real time.
Red blobs indicate nutrient-rich zones, while red dots represent fungal spores expanding through the soil. Pale blue lines are initial, fragile connections; dark violet lines show persistent links; red lines signal matured pathways—akin to ecological memory.
Growth halts after 1000 spores emerge, but stable connections endure. The Tree of Souls in the movie Avatar was inspired by this very concept of real-life fungal networks that connect trees underground.
How This Simulation Relates to Mycorrhizal Networks
Random Node Growth (Independent Yet Interconnected)
Mycorrhizal networks, like the one modeled here, grow in a random, decentralized manner. The nodes represent fungal hyphae or fungal growth points, which appear randomly and spread out in search of resources like nutrients.
The randomness of node placement in our simulation mimics the natural exploration of mycorrhizal networks, where the growth of hyphal threads is unpredictable at first but gradually connects to form larger networks.
Nutrient Gradient Influence
In nature, mycorrhizal networks often form around nutrient-rich zones, typically close to plant roots or decomposing organic matter. Our concept of having nutrient blobs influencing connection strength and persistence mirrors this.
Where nutrients are abundant, connections between nodes become stronger and more persistent. This reflects how fungi prioritize nutrient-rich areas in the real world, increasing growth and connection density where resources are more available.
Persistence of Connections (Feedback Loop)
Mycorrhizal networks establish long-lasting connections that enable continuous exchange of resources and information. These persistent links create feedback loops, strengthening the entire ecosystem.
Our simulation captures this by allowing persistent connections to form in nutrient-rich zones. These enduring connections contribute to the stability and expansion of the network.
Fractals and Self-Organization
Mycorrhizal networks often exhibit fractal-like patterns—complex systems built from repeated simple structures. Small growth tips eventually form intricate, repeating shapes across different scales.
Our simulation reflects this beautifully. The randomness and clustering behavior naturally lead to fractal-like networks, where organization emerges from the bottom up, not from a top-down blueprint.
Emergent Behavior
Just like in real forests, our simulation demonstrates emergent behavior—where complex outcomes arise from simple interactions. Nodes grow, form clusters, and build connections based on local conditions.
Connections become stronger around nutrient blobs, while weaker ones fade away. This is similar to how fungi allocate energy and growth in real ecosystems, adapting to their environment intelligently without a central controller.
In Summary
Mycorrhizal networks are shaped by randomness, feedback, and emergence. Our simulation reflects this natural intelligence by modeling:
- Random growth of nodes.
- Nutrient-rich areas influencing connection strength.
- Fractal-like self-organization of the network.
- Persistent bonds forming in dense, resource-rich zones.
So while it may not be a scientific replica, it captures the spirit of how nature builds resilient, adaptive systems—beautifully chaotic, deeply interconnected, and full of meaning beneath the surface.
Behind the Code: The Technical Details of the Simulation
Building this simulation wasn’t just about representing the forest system; it was about simulating the randomness that makes it work. Each node’s placement is random, and every nutrient blob’s movement is unpredictable. The system is constantly changing, just as nature does.
We used JavaScript and HTML5’s canvas to build the simulation, ensuring it could run smoothly in a browser. The random placement of nodes and the unpredictable nutrient flows are powered by a series of algorithms that replicate the randomness and interactivity seen in nature.
While the code itself is simple, the results are complex and beautiful. The growing network of nodes and nutrient flows captures the magic of nature’s mycorrhizal system, showing us how trees rely on each other and how randomness and cooperation go hand in hand in nature’s most intricate ecosystems.
References
Simard, S. (1997). "Mycorrhizal Networks: Mechanisms, Ecology, and Evolution." ScienceDirect. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S0022103197001241
Dorn, A. (2023). "Science isn’t about certainty. It’s about openness." Medium Newsletter Blog Post. Retrieved from https://blog.medium.com/science-isnt-about-certainty-it-s-about-openness-c86708456059
Simard, S. (2021). "Mother Trees Are Intelligent: They Learn and Remember." Scientific American, May 2021. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mother-trees-are-intelligent-they-learn-and-remember/