Spun Maps 110 Quadrillion km of Fungal Networks, Finding Cropland Densities 47.3% Lower
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 11
Spun Maps 110 Quadrillion km of Fungal Networks, Finding Cropland Densities 47.3% Lower
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 11
Summary
More than 16,000 soil cores fed machine-learning models that produced the first global map of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which researchers estimate span 110 quadrillion km worldwide.
Those fungi partner with more than 70% of plants, trading nutrients and water for carbon and helping soils store carbon while limiting chemical runoff into waterways.
Cropland showed fungal network densities 47.3% lower than wild ecosystems on average, with researchers blaming tilling, fertilizers and fungicides for disrupting the underground symbiosis.
Grasslands had the densest networks, including the Everglades, South Sudan's Sudd and prairie-steppe regions, but the study says many of those areas are poorly protected and degrading.
Spun said it will present the dataset to governments at the desertification COP in Mongolia in August as scientists push to use fungal restoration to support food security and climate goals.
These fungi are vital for most plants. But could these underground networks also have a hidden, destructive dark side?
Fungi sequester a third of fossil fuel emissions annually. Are we ignoring nature's most powerful weapon against climate change?
Unveiling Mycorrhizal Fungi: Global Carbon Storage, Unprotected Hotspots, and the Urgent Need for Conservation Policy
Overview
Recent scientific breakthroughs have revealed that mycorrhizal fungi play a major, previously hidden role in global carbon cycles. By using advanced technologies like high-resolution imaging, machine learning, and robotics, researchers can now map these underground fungal networks worldwide. These networks not only transport vital nutrients but also help regulate the Earth's climate by storing large amounts of carbon. A decentralized science approach, led by experts such as Toby Kiers, gathers data from local scientists around the globe, building a clearer picture of how these fungi support resilient ecosystems and highlighting their importance for climate solutions.