Yet so little is known about fungi that they are not even counted in the Convention on Biodiversity, the global treaty aimed at protecting nature.

“More information would be very valuable,” he said. Benton, a biologist at Leeds University who isn’t involved in Dr. Specific knowledge of the power of these networks, said Tim G. In addition, the biodiversity of underground fungi is a huge factor in soil health, which is crucial to the world’s ability to feed itself as the planet warms. “Keeping this fungal network protected is paramount as we face climate change,” Dr. Without help from the fungi, that carbon would likely stay in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, the powerful greenhouse gas that is heating the planet and fueling dangerous weather. īy one estimate, 5 billion tons of carbon flow from plants to mycorrhizal fungi annually. In short, they are what she called “levers” to address the hazards of a warming climate.įungal filaments, which are much finer than plant roots, enlarged for visibility. There are those especially good at feeding nutrients to crops, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. Others help plants survive brutal droughts or fight off pests. Some species of fungi can store exceptional levels of carbon underground, keeping it out of the air and preventing it from heating up the Earth’s atmosphere. She is probing a vast and poorly understood universe of underground fungi that can be vital, in her view, in the era of climate change. Kiers, 45, an evolutionary biologist based at the Free University of Amsterdam, is on a novel mission. The soil was deposited into a clear plastic bag, then labeled with the coordinates of this exact location on Earth.ĭr. Kiers stuck her nose into the dirt, inhaled its scent, imagined what secrets it contained to help us live on a hotter planet. Into the ground went a hollow metal cylinder. ALERCE COSTERO NATIONAL PARK, Chile - Toby Kiers took long strides across the spongy forest floor, felt the adrenaline rush in her veins and stopped at the spot she had traveled so far to reach.

Merlin sheldrake mushrooms