Researchers Map 110 Quadrillion Kilometers of Fungal Networks, Finding Grasslands 33% Denser Than Forests
Updated
Updated · ZME Science · Jun 16
Researchers Map 110 Quadrillion Kilometers of Fungal Networks, Finding Grasslands 33% Denser Than Forests
3 articles · Updated · ZME Science · Jun 16
Summary
110 quadrillion kilometers of living fungal hyphae lie in Earth’s topsoil, according to a new global map of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi published in Science.
322 studies, 16,000-plus soil cores across nine biomes and more than 300,000 robotic measurements fed machine-learning models that estimated an average 4.4 meters of hyphae per cubic centimeter of topsoil.
Wild grasslands emerged as the main underground hubs: they hold about 40% of these fungi and average densities more than one-third higher than tropical broadleaf forests.
Large-scale croplands showed 47% to 50% lower fungal network densities than wild ecosystems, a decline researchers link to tilling, fertilizers and fungicides that can weaken nutrient cycling, soil structure and carbon storage.
These fungi partner with about 70% of plant species and may move roughly 1 billion metric tons of carbon into soils each year, though the map remains a first draft with deserts, Greenland and parts of the tropics still poorly sampled.