My investigation would help me figure out how in the world fir could survive and even prosper in spite of living among birch neighbors considered by foresters to be strong, unwanted competitors. And if birch did spread this bounty—the large amount of sugar it was able to produce in full light—maybe it was delivered to the shaded Douglas fir through a belowground pathway, mycorrhizal fungi linking the two species together. Birch cooperating with fir for the greater health of the community.
