Can These Fungus-Studying Scientists Make the Planet More Resilient to Climate Change?

A team of scientists drove hundreds of miles through the steppes of Kazakhstan in search of what may be one of the largest and most diverse fungi ecosystems on Earth. The Washington Post believes their efforts "could help make the planet more resilient to climate change."When these underground fungi come together, they form sophisticated systems known as "mycorrhizal networks...." Mycorrhizal fungi often form mutually beneficial relationships with plants. They trade essential nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen in exchange for carbon, and act as an extended root system, allowing plants to access water they can't reach. These networks may also prove to be invaluable for transporting carbon underground, a study published in June found. About 13 gigatons of carbon fixed by vegetation - equivalent to about one-third of all carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in one year - flows through underground fungi, according to an analysis of nearly 200 data sets. In the steppe, these plant-fungal benefits may be short-lived, however. While deserts are a natural part of Kazakhstan's ecosystem, more than half of the country's vegetation and drylands is at risk of becoming desert as well. The main drivers are large-scale intensive agriculture and increasingly warm and dry temperatures brought by climate change.... Knowing what species of fungi live here is key to understanding how to protect them, said Bethan Manley, project officer at the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks who was on the expedition. It will help determine "where we might be able to have the most effective measures of not poisoning them with fungicides or not having harmful farming practices," she said.

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