Scientists have mapped Earth’s underground fungal network for the first time, revealing a system of staggering scale.
The mapped network stretches an estimated 68 quadrillion miles, roughly 10 percent of the width of the Milky Way.
What the Underground Fungal Network Mapped Study Revealed
The research was led by the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, known as SPUN.
Scientists sampled soil from hundreds of sites worldwide to identify and map arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks.
These fungi grow into plant roots and form the hidden underground threads that connect forests and grasslands.
The network spans nearly every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth, from tropical rainforests to Arctic tundra.
The SPUN team published mapping data and conservation efforts at SPUN Society for the Protection of Underground Networks for researchers and the public.
How Fungi Move Carbon Underground Through the Earth’s Soil
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi help plants absorb nutrients and in return receive sugars produced by photosynthesis.
As fungi grow and die, they deposit carbon-rich organic matter deep in the soil, locking it away from the atmosphere.
Scientists estimate this process sequesters around 1 billion tons of carbon per year in soils globally.
That is roughly equivalent to the annual carbon emissions of the entire global aviation industry combined.
Losing these fungal networks to land degradation or agriculture could release stored carbon back into the atmosphere.
More on the carbon findings and their significance for climate science can be found at ScienceDaily science research news portal.
Why Mapping the Underground Fungal Network Matters for the Planet
Scientists had long suspected that mycorrhizal networks were vast, but had never quantified their full global extent.
The new map gives researchers a baseline to track how fungal networks are changing due to land use and climate.
Areas with dense fungal networks tend to have healthier soils, more biodiversity, and better drought resistance.
Many of the most carbon-rich fungal networks are in regions under threat from deforestation and agricultural expansion.
Conservation of these networks may be as important to climate action as protecting forests and wetlands.
Protecting underground fungal networks requires reducing soil disturbance and limiting use of synthetic chemicals.
Researchers are urging policymakers to include fungal network data in national biodiversity and land management plans.
How Threats to the Fungal Network Harm Earth’s Climate
Tillage, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers all damage mycorrhizal fungal networks in agricultural soils.
When fungal threads are broken, plants lose their nutrient-sharing partners and carbon storage in soils declines.
Restoring fungal networks through regenerative farming could help reverse soil carbon losses at meaningful scale.
Scientists are calling for fungal network health to be included in national biodiversity and climate strategies.
AI research tools described in our guide on AI tools for researching scientific discoveries can help track and analyze new ecology data releases.
For deeper analysis of complex environmental data, see our post on AI analysis tools for complex data research.
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