It’s a consoling thought. That …the forests surrounding us are actually communities in which varied species share resources for a common good. And lording over the networks are big old ‘mother trees’ that act like their namesakes in human society — protecting their children, feeding the community and preparing the next generation. And that linking these communities together are the roots of mushrooms (mycorrhizal fungi networks). It’s a view of the forest that’s taken root in Hollywood blockbusters (the Tree of Souls in Avatar), bestselling books (Finding the Mother Tree, Overstory), Ted Talks and media reports. “It’s a very appealing story – this idea of tree communities and these benevolent fungi that are transferring resources and helping the trees communicate,” said Justine Karst, a university of Alberta mycologist and head of the Karst Lab. “… It transformed into a story many people wanted to hear … in terms of how they would like nature and society to exist.”