Understanding the interdependence between humans and nature is increasingly important during the climate crisis. The media plays a crucial role in shaping public understanding of science and promoting ecological awareness. Ecology research that emphasises the forests’ central contribution to the wellbeing of ecosystems, preservation of biodiversity, climate mitigation, and thereby human life is gaining widespread recognition via popular science. However, the representation of such forest ecology research appears to be relatively under-researched.

This thesis deploys a multimodal critical discourse analysis and posthumanist theory to explore the representations of world-leading forest ecologist Suzanne Simard’s work on trees and their communication. The findings indicate that the forest is constructed as a social space where the relationality between humans, trees and other forest species is recognised. However, the human experience is fundamentally used as a starting point to illuminate this relationality, resulting in mainly anthropocentric representations of trees and tree communication. Nevertheless, some examples of ecocentric representations highlight the species involved in the tree communication processes as dynamic components of interconnected systems. 

These results emphasise the need for more inclusive forest ecology research representations that can enhance ecological awareness and build support for efforts to combat deforestation and forest degradation. Such an approach is essential for preserving biodiversity and mitigating the impacts of climate change.