Gewaltig!
Subterranean fungi networks more than 100 quadrillion km in length.
Our planet’s soils contain enough of the subterranean fungi that sustain plant life and help regulate the climate to stretch from the Earth to the sun almost three-quarters of a billion times, a groundbreaking new study has found.
Some thoughts from a recent workshop: is there any connection between the late arrival of plants in terrestrial ecosystems and the high diversity of plant-fungal interactions?
https://matthiasrillig.substack.com/p/diversity-of-plant-microbial-interactions?r=1yu2t7
RE: https://botany.social/@botanyone/116504160551629066
There is so much fascinating resarch to do in this amazing world! 
#Mycorrhiza #MicrobialEcology #PlantMicrobeInteractions #AMF
@mrillig If the soil was actually natural soil, either from another planet or Earth, I'd include #mycorrhiza to improve nutrient uptake, improve #soil structure to avoid compaction, improve aggregates, increase water holding capacity, drought tolerance of the plants and suppress pathogens.
Even if you had a hydroponic setup where you just supplied the exact nutrients and water required without mycorrhiza, it would probably be less resilient and more vulnerable to pathogens.
If you could build a synthetic plant-soil ecosystem from scratch for use on another planet (ignore if this makes sense or not), would it have mycorrhiza?
Explain why or why not... 😀
@HighCountryNew @high-country-news-HighCountryNew
💯 the invisible ecosystem services provided by the soil microbial community is difficult to overstate.
Soil aggregation (=erosion prevention), carbob storage, water purification, breakdown of pollutants, biodiversity, soil fertility for agricultural production...
I liked this part
"fungal diversity can be protected no matter where it occurs. Land managers can allow more woody debris to remain on the landscape as a food source for fungi; anyone can improve their backyard’s soil health by composting."
We take care for birds, thus let's take care for our fungi!
#SoilMicrobiology #SoilMicrobes #Fungi #Mycorrhiza #SoilBiodiversity
RE: https://mastodon.social/@theperpetuallycurious8/115181182750637134
Life beneath the forest floor moves in quiet currents of carbon, water, and chemical signals. These exchanges do not decide the fate of a forest, yet they reveal a hidden layer of connection that invites reflection.
Return to the main Wood Wide Web piece to explore that world with more depth.
Reading in journal club
Jiang et al
Multiple global change factors diminish the benefits of AMF diversity to ecosystem multifunctionality
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2745.70269
veggie gang says watch your step
#alterhuman #otherkin #phytanthrope #plantkin #foodkin #fungus #mushroom #mycorrhiza #comic #cartoon #vegan
hskzoom
Matthias C. Rillig
Wendinlondon 🇺🇦
Earthworm 🐌
Eric Ireland
The Perpetually Curious!
mega mushroom