‘Fungi Store a Third of the World’s Fossil Fuel Emissions Underground’

Saturday, 10 June 2023 08:29:00

Grahame Jackson posted a new submission ‘Fungi Store a Third of the World’s Fossil Fuel Emissions Underground’

SubmissionFungi Store a Third of the World’s Fossil Fuel Emissions UndergroundExtremeTechScientists have unearthed a potentially game-changing discovery regarding nature’s ability to handle carbon emissions. Mycorrhizal fungi, which form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, have been found to store just over a third of the world’s fossil fuel-related carbon emissions where they live underground. These broad networks of soil-dwelling fungi could soon find themselves at the center of larger ecological projects and policies as a result.Almost every land plant has a symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, relationship with some form of mycorrhizal fungi, or mycorrhiza. The fungi typically attach to a plant’s roots and create a vast network stretching outward, where it can extract phosphorus, sulfur, and nitrogen from the soil. Mycorrhiza sends these nutrients back to the plant’s roots along with water. The plant returns the favor by supplying mycorrhiza with fats and carbohydrates obtained via photosynthesis. This exchange provides both parties with up to 80% of their required nutrients, though sometimes, one party receives more than it gives. Read on: https://www.extremetech.com/science/fungi-store-a-third-of-the-worlds-fossil-fuel-emissions-underground