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Under the Earth the top is amazing underground fungal network almost incomparable. An international team of researchers has, for the first time, created a global map of this vast mycorrhizal network – a system of fungal filaments that form a beneficial relationship with plants around the world. It is estimated that the network is about 110 quadrillion kilometers long, about 1 billion times the distance between Earth and the sun. What they found was printed in Science.
Under Your Feet
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) form underground networks that support growth and help regulate Earth’s climate. Through microscopic filaments called hyphae, these fungi form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, providing water and nutrients instead of carbon produced through photosynthesis. The scale of this phenomenon is huge: Current research shows that about 70 percent of all plants depend on mycorrhizal cooperation to survive.
Global Network Mapping
Although a learning published in Nature last year analyzed global patterns in the diversity of underground mycorrhizal fungi, no previous study had shown the abundance and global distribution of the underground network.
To create the first global map of this hidden system, the authors of the new study compiled data from 322 previous studies, along with 16,000 soil samples collected from many parts of the world. Using machine learning techniques and advanced simulation technologies, the team estimated the network’s density and density.
“With the advent of new technologies in advanced imaging, machine learning, and robotics, we are beginning to reveal what has been hidden beneath our feet,” said co-author Corentin Bisot. “We’re seeing how the complex network-building process of fungi captures nutrients and helps regulate climate.”
Large Private Network
The researchers estimate that the network of underground fungi is about 110 quadrillion kilometers long. They also calculate that it contains 300 megatons of carbon in biomass—the equivalent of about four to six times the weight of all living people.
According to the study, this network of fungi carries about 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the soil each year, which represents about 11 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions caused by humans.
“It’s hard to overstate the importance and scale of this fungus,” said Justin Stewart of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks. “One tablespoon of soil can contain a mycorrhizal network of up to 10 meters.”
Planetary System
The researchers also issued a warning. According to this study, the density of underground fungal networks in agricultural soil is about half of that found in nature. However grass—accounting for about 40 percent of the world’s total arbuscular mycorrhizal biomass—are among the least protected natural resources and are being converted to agricultural land four times faster than forests.
The scientists warn that the inclusion of less dense fungi can reduce the soil’s ability to store carbon and recycle nutrients.
“Mycorrhizal fungi have created life on Earth for hundreds of millions of years, yet we still know little about how these organisms are distributed across the globe,” said co-author Merlin Sheldrake. “This research shows an exciting way to understand how the planetary system works, and it shows how we can use fungi effectively to solve many of the challenges of our time, from food security to. global warming.”
This article appeared first WIRED Italy and translated from Italian.
