Business · Wired
Although a study published in Nature last year examined global patterns in the diversity of underground mycorrhizal fungal
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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 a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems.
Key facts
- They estimate that the network stretches for roughly 110 quadrillion kilometers in total, nearly 1 billion times the distance between the Earth and the sun
- 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 a wide range of terrestrial
- According to the study, these fungal networks transport the equivalent of around 4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the soil each year, representing approximately 11 percent of annual
- The researchers estimate that the underground fungal network has a total length of approximately 110 quadrillion kilometers
Summary
Beneath the Earth's surface lies an extraordinary underground fungal network of almost unimaginable scale. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) form underground networks that support plant life and help regulate the Earth's climate. Although a study published in Nature last year examined global patterns in the diversity of underground mycorrhizal fungal communities, no previous research had quantified the density and worldwide distribution of this subterranean network. “With the advent of new technologies in high-resolution imaging, machine learning, and robotics, we are beginning to reveal what has long remained hidden beneath our feet,” said coauthor Corentin Bisot.