Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
Underground Fungi Gain Climate Focus
Coverage from Yale E360, Grist, and others
Articles
4
Latest Article
03/21
Active Days
375
Executive Summary
Scientists say underground fungal networks store carbon, sustain plants, and support biodiversity, spurring new mapping and calls for protection
- Fungal networks exchange nitrogen, water, phosphorus, and carbon with plant roots
- Researchers say these systems support crop productivity, forest resilience, and soil health
- Soil systems linked to these networks hold about 75 percent of terrestrial carbon
- They also contain about 59 percent of Earth's biodiversity
- SPUN's Underground Atlas maps fungal biodiversity hotspots across the globe
- More than 90 percent of mapped hotspots remain unprotected
- Toby Kiers received the 2026 Tyler Prize for research on these networks
Quick Facts
- What: Research and mapping of underground fungal networks
- Where: Global soils and biodiversity hotspots
- Why: To protect carbon storage, plant health, and biodiversity
- Who: Scientists led by Toby Kiers and SPUN
- When: Recent studies and 2026 recognition
Coverage Timeline: 375 Days
Featured Article
Researchers report in 2026 that underground fungal networks store soil carbon worldwide.
Additional Articles
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At COP16 and ahead of COP17, Chile and the UK promoted the Fungal Conservation Pledge to integrate fungi recognition into conservation policy tied to climate and biodiversity goals.
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Chile and the UK proposed a Fungal Conservation Pledge at COP16, aiming to recognize fungi protection internationally amid climate-linked biodiversity and soil-carbon risks.
Researchers describe underground fungal networks storing carbon and supporting biodiversity worldwide in recent studies.