New Underground Atlas of Mycorrhizal Fungi

An international coalition of researchers has drawn up a global map of subterranean fungi to help shape the future of climate mitigation.

Credit: SPUN

The Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) has crunched the numbers from 2.8 billion fungi DNA sequences collected from 25,000 soil samples across 130 countries to model its Underground Atlas of mycorrhizal fungi.

These hair-like structures form symbiotic relationships with plant and tree roots, supercharging nutrient exchange, boosting water retention and preventing erosion, while sucking 13 billion tonnes of CO2 into the soil every year - equivalent to over a third of global fossil fuel emissions.

However, SPUN points out they have been largely overlooked in conservation and climate change efforts, with 90 percent of Earth’s mycorrhizal hotspots remaining unprotected. That should change, they hope, with their remarkable new atlas.

“These analyses are the first step to leveraging mycorrhizal systems to guide restoration strategies, design new models of conservation, and develop more sustainable farming systems,” SPUN said in an explainer.

Atmos.Earth notes that a recent report from London's Royal Botanic Gardens - home to the world’s largest fungarium - estimated that there are 2.5 million species of fungi, more than 90 percent of which have never been scientifically described. By contrast, there are roughly 450,000 species of plants, and only about 11 percent of them remain undescribed.

According to Dr. Greg Mueller, a mycologist and chief scientist emeritus at the Chicago Botanic Garden, “Life as we know it on this planet wouldn’t exist without fungi. Almost everything that’s going on with the world, fungi are part of it.”

No wonder that experts say that saving the world's fungi will help save us too.