Scientists map massive layer of life just beneath our feet

Frank Jacobs at Big Think:

We’ve logged and named almost every fold of the visible world. And yet until June, the most extensive piece of infrastructure on the planet had not been extensively mapped. This network is larger than every road, cable, and shipping lane combined. And it’s alive.

o be precise: It’s fungal. This underground network is made of so-called hyphae: hair-thin filaments that knit together into vast structures known as mycelium. A large fraction of these fungi form partnerships with the roots of plants and trees. Roughly 70% of all botanical species indulge in these relationships.

Think of these relationships, also known as mycorrhizae, not so much as tender friendships, but as shrewd trade agreements: Both parties get something indispensable out of it. The plant can make sugar from sunlight, but is bad at foraging. So the fungus provides phosphorus, nitrogen, and water. The fungus is a foraging superhero, but cannot photosynthesize. So the plant repays the fungus in carbon.

More here.

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