The Afterlife of Trees program

Do you know what happens to trees after they die?

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies will hold a The Afterlife of Trees program in person and online from 7 to 8 pm on October 24^th at Lovejoy Auditiorium on the Institute’s Main Campus in Millbrook, NY.

In this program Cary scientist Dr. Amy Zanne will bring guests into the rich and often unseen world of dead trees. She will explain the role deadwood plays in ecosystems and the myriad creatures that rely on fallen trees. This will include fungi at the heart of decomposition — including dead man’s fingers and glow-in-the-dark Jack-o’-lantern mushrooms — as well as terrific termites, most of whom prefer the forest to your home.

Wood decay has climate-implications, as trees store enormous amounts of carbon. Depending on the tree species, and its environment, deadwood can take years, decades, or even centuries to decompose.

Through field experiments and global collaborations, Zanne is refining our understanding of the timescale of carbon release from deadwood — across geographies and tree types — to better inform forest management and climate models.

As she recently shared with Scientific American: Zanne sees a hidden wonderland in decomposition, populated by overlooked, disregarded players that nonetheless have critical roles in an evolving ecosystem. “I love thinking about the underdogs, the underseen things, and how hidden things make the world go round,” she says. A dead tree is “just a transition to something else.”

Registration is required. There are two signups, one for seating in our Lovejoy Auditorium, and another to access the virtual live stream.

To register, go to The Afterlife of Trees: A Science Conversation with Amy Zanne