A billion years ago, there were no plants on land. Plants managed to expand from the oceans by trading with fungi and microbes, who could break rocks down into nutrients they needed.

This led to a 90% reduction in CO2 levels. We owe our atmosphere, we owe our forests, we owe our grasslands to this partnership.

Mycorrhizae are still responsible for drawing down so much CO2 each year — the equivalent of ⅓ the emissions from fossil fuels.

https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/08/26/g-s1-85185/plants-fungi-resources-trade-cooperation

#Fungi #Microbes #Nature #Science #CO2 #Climate #ClimateDiary #Mycorrhizae