This unfathomably huge fungal network keeps Earth cool and green
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- Scientists estimated the global arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal network stretches 110 quadrillion kilometers, nearly a billion times the Earth‑sun distance.
- Scientists calculated that the fungi shuttle about 4 billion metric tons of carbon annually, roughly 11 % of humanity’s CO₂ emissions.
- Toby Kiers highlighted that grasslands contain 40 % of the predicted global arbuscular biomass, contrary to expectations of tropical dominance.
- Smriti Pehim Limbu warned that large‑scale agriculture cuts fungal network density by about 50 % on average, due to synthetic fertilizers and tillage.
- Society for the Protection of Underground Networks noted that only 5 % of arbuscular fungal biodiversity hotspots lie within protected areas, urging conservation efforts.
Why it matters: Policymakers and farmers stand to gain from preserving fungal hotspots, which store 4 bn tons of carbon yearly, while current agricultural practices that slash fungal density by half threaten this natural carbon sink and plant productivity, and the fact that only 5 % of hotspots lie in protected areas highlights a policy gap.
