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Soil fungi would stretch a billion times from Earth to Sun (ecosystem engineering) - C C - Jun 11, 2026 One billion times the distance from the Earth to the sun: First global map of mycorrhizal fungi reveals true scale of underground networks across the planet https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1131131 INTRO: Mycorrhizal fungi form underground networks that sustain plant life and help regulate Earth’s climate by drawing carbon into soils. In a study published today 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. Researchers found: Global topsoils contain ~110 quadrillion kilometers of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal network - made up of tubular cells known as hyphae. This distance is almost a billion times the distance from the Earth to the sun. Grassland ecosystems are home to an estimated ~40% of Earth’s arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal infrastructure. The flooded grasslands of South Sudan, the Everglades in Florida, and the Tibetan plateau have exceptionally high predicted network density. AM fungal networks transport an estimated ~4 billion tons of CO2e into soils each year (equivalent to 11% of all human-related carbon-dioxide emissions). On average, large-scale agricultural crop lands are predicted to be associated with ~50% lower network densities. While more work is needed to link specific farming practices to mycorrhizal health, scientists worry that less dense networks diminish a soils’ ability to store carbon, cycle nutrients, and resist stress. 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... (MORE - no ads)