The hidden world beneath our feet is teeming with life – but it's not just plants and animals that are crucial for the planet's health. Fungi, often invisible and overlooked, play a vital role in sustaining ecosystems worldwide, according to leading evolutionary biologist Dr Toby Kiers.
Dr Kiers' extensive research has revealed how fungal networks facilitate nutrient exchange between plants, store carbon, and contribute to soil health – making them an indispensable force in maintaining the balance of our planet's delicate ecosystems. Her work, which includes a MacArthur Fellowship and the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, has been instrumental in shedding light on these vital underground connections.
The 'Wood Wide Web' is how Dr Kiers refers to these intricate networks that allow trees and plants to communicate and share resources – boosting the resilience of entire forests and grasslands. Without healthy fungal populations, many terrestrial ecosystems would struggle to thrive, affecting everything from agricultural yields to biodiversity and climate regulation.
For too long, conservation efforts have focused on visible plant and animal life, neglecting the complex subterranean world that underpins it. Dr Kiers' Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) aims to map and conserve these hidden networks – providing critical data to inform conservation strategies and highlight areas most in need of protection from human activities like intensive farming and deforestation.