Tag

Mycorrhizal Networks

All articles tagged with #mycorrhizal networks

science16 days ago•5 min saved

First Global Map Reveals Earth's Hidden Fungal Highway

A global team mapped the underground mycorrhizal network, estimating about 110 quadrillion kilometers of fungal filaments and 300 megatons of carbon; these networks transfer roughly 4 billion tonnes of CO2 into soil each year (about 11% of human-emitted CO2) and support ~70% of plant species. The map, produced from 322 studies and 16,000 soil samples using machine learning and advanced imaging, shows that natural ecosystems host denser networks than agricultural lands, with grasslands holding a large share of biomass. Widespread habitat loss could weaken soil carbon storage and nutrient cycling, highlighting fungi as a planetary circulatory system.

via WIRED|

#climate-change #ecology #fungi

environment28 days ago•39 min saved

Global map reveals Earth’s hidden fungal highways are densest beneath wild grasslands

Researchers mapped the world’s underground mycorrhizal network, estimating about 68 quadrillion miles (110 quadrillion km) of fungal hyphae that connect around 70% of Earth’s plants. The network boosts plant access to water, nutrients, and soil carbon exchange, and it is densest under wild grasslands rather than rainforests. Farmland shows about half the density, highlighting how agricultural practices affect these hidden connections and offering new avenues for conservation and farming methods that protect this vast, climate-relevant web.

via Earth.com|

#environment #fungi #grasslands

science3 years ago•5 min saved

Uncovering the Potential of Fungal Networks for Earth's Survival.

Fungi, often overlooked, are essential to life on Earth and can help sustain it by drawing down atmospheric carbon dioxide. They are "ecosystem engineers" and "enablers of our very lives," according to biologist and author Merlin Sheldrake. Fungi can also be harnessed for mycoremediation, mycofabrication, and producing antiviral compounds. However, fungi are neglected in conservation frameworks and scientific research, and more awareness is needed to protect them and their vital roles in the biosphere.

via The New York Times|

#carbon-sequestration #conservation #ecology

environment3 years ago•4 min saved

The Secret Communication Network of Trees and Fungi

The mother tree hypothesis, which suggests that large trees share carbon and nutrients with saplings through underground fungal networks, has limited empirical evidence and theoretical explanations for its mechanisms. The fungal network is more likely a trading ground for individual trees and fungi, each trying to survive, rather than a pipeline for resource sharing among trees. The forest is a complex ecosystem with trees, fungi, and other organisms, which are all interdependent but not guided by a common purpose.

via Phys.org|

#environment #forest-ecosystems #fungal-networks