First global map of mycorrhizal fungi reveals true scale of underground networks across the planet

[erronis]

https://phys.org/news/2026-06-global-mycorrhizal-fungi-reveals-true.html
Society for the Protection of Underground Networks

Global map of hyphal density of AM fungi. Credit: Truth & Beauty / Moritz Stefaner. Justin Stewart - SPUN

This looks like a wonderful publication in Science magazine. This exerpt in phys.org is stunning. I'm just now trying to absorb all the information.

Mycorrhizal fungi form underground networks that sustain plant life and help regulate Earth's climate by drawing carbon into soils. In a study published in Science, an international team of researchers produced the first global maps estimating the distribution and mass of the Earth's arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks.

Published alongside an interactive visualization that helps reveal the scale of this underground fungal infrastructure, the research will help scientists and decision-makers understand where these vital fungal systems are thriving and where they are threatened.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (known as AM fungi) form symbiotic trade relationships with ~70% of plant species on Earth. The fungi provide nutrients and water in exchange for carbon produced by plants.

As ecosystem engineers, these networks form a critical living infrastructure that draws carbon into soils and supports much of life on Earth. Last year, in Nature, researchers published global analyses of the diversity patterns of underground mycorrhizal fungal communities accompanied by a digital tool, the Underground Atlas, to help decision-makers locate predicted underground biodiversity hotspots. But until now, no one has attempted to predict and visualize the physical density and global distribution of AM fungal networks.

. . .