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https://theconversation.com/from-trading-nutrients-to-storing-carbon-5-things-you-didnt-know-about-our-underground-fungi-252184>
"If you’re walking outdoors, chances are something remarkable is happening
under your feet. Vast fungal networks are silently working to keep ecosystems
alive.
These fungi aren’t what you might picture. They are not mushrooms, or brightly
coloured growths on tree trunks. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi look like
spools of thread wrapped around plant roots.
What makes these fungi remarkable is the deal they struck almost half a billion
years ago with another kingdom of life – plants.
AM fungi make threads of hyphae thinner than spider silk and weave them through
plant roots. Then, they begin to trade, offering plants water and phosphorus, a
vital plant nutrient in soils. In return, plants offer carbon-rich sugars and
fats from photosynthesis. Fungi can’t photosynthesise, but plants can.
This symbiotic relationship can help plants survive periods of drought and live
in nutrient poor soils. More than 80% of all plant families rely on these
fungi, while AM fungi cannot live without plants.
Without these fungi, many of Australia’s plants — and the soil they grow in —
would be in real trouble. Our continent is ancient, dry, and nutrient-poor. But
while we monitor the fate of plants and animals in response to human impact and
climate change, we haven’t been tracking the fungi who support it all. We don’t
even know how many species there are, let alone if we’re losing them.
To help fill this gap, I have developed the first dedicated database recording
species and distributions of AM fungi in Australia – AusAMF."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
