Soil fungi are among the planet’s most crucial yet least understood life forms. These microscopic networks underpin terrestrial ecosystems, regulating carbon storage, nutrient cycling, and plant health. Despite their importance, mycorrhizal fungi have been largely ignored in global conservation and climate strategies. The Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) is working to change that.
The Overlooked Carbon Sink
Mycorrhizal fungi represent a major, underappreciated global carbon sink. Ecosystems dominated by mycorrhizal plants store up to eight times more carbon than those without these underground networks. This happens through three key processes:
Soil Networks: Fungi use carbon from plant roots to grow vast networks, stabilising soil and reducing erosion.
Fungal Exudates: These tough organic compounds help create stable carbon reservoirs.
Necromass Storage: Inactive fungal structures contribute to long-term soil carbon storage, making up as much as 50% of organic matter in soils.
Yet, fungal ecosystems are under growing pressure from deforestation, industrial agriculture, and urbanisation. Every day, an area the size of 1,000 football fields is paved over, halting carbon flux and disrupting these critical networks.
The Underground Economy of Nutrients
Beyond carbon sequestration, fungi are also expert foragers. Working symbiotically with plants for 400 million years, they extend their reach up to 100 times beyond plant roots, mining phosphorus, nitrogen, and other nutrients. Industrial agriculture, with its heavy reliance on synthetic fertilisers, has disrupted this exchange, making crops dependent on non-renewable nitrogen and phosphorus, a resource predicted to reach peak supply by 2040-2050. Mycorrhizal networks can reduce nutrient leaching by up to 50% and improve crop resilience, offering a scalable solution to future food security challenges.
Mapping the Invisible Kingdom
SPUN is leading the world’s most ambitious effort to map fungal biodiversity. Using machine learning and large geo-located databases, the organisation identifies under-sampled regions, guiding future research efforts. More than 70% of known soil biodiversity hotspots remain unprotected, yet fungi hold the key to stabilising ecosystems and mitigating climate change. SPUN’s work is essential to integrating fungi into conservation strategies and land management policies.
SPUN’s Projects and Collaborations
SPUN’s field research spans diverse ecosystems, from the Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests. In Patagonia, working alongside local researchers and partners such as the Fungi Foundation, SPUN has mapped fungal networks in Argentina’s forests, revealing unique species that contribute to carbon storage and soil stability. In Northeast India, SPUN and Fungi Foundation collaborate with Khasi communities to document fungal biodiversity in sacred groves, helping protect ancient networks that support indigenous conservation practices. Meanwhile, in Africa, partnerships with organisations such as the Ivory Coast’s Centre for Ecological Research and Kenya’s National Museums have helped SPUN catalogue underground fungi critical for regenerating degraded soils.
SPUN’s impact extends beyond research. Their Underground Explorers program funds scientists working in under-sampled regions, while partnerships with conservation organisations, including the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, provide decision-makers with crucial data on fungal ecosystems. Leading this effort is Dr. Toby Kiers, an evolutionary biologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, whose research focuses on the symbiotic trade networks between plants and fungi.
A New Alliance: SPUN x MycoStories
After partnering with the Fungi Foundation in 2024 to increase awareness on the importance of fungal conservation and action, MycoStories is partnering with SPUN to showcase the progress of their research, critical to global conservation efforts. This collaboration will highlight the latest findings in underground biodiversity, bridging the gap between research, industry, and policy.
Through regular publications, this partnership aims to:
Showcase SPUN’s international mapping projects
Connect researchers with broader audiences
Advocate for the inclusion of fungi in global conservation efforts
MycoStories has spent the last few years building a platform that connects mycologists, innovators, and industry leaders. By working together, SPUN and MycoStories will ensure that the invisible kingdom beneath our feet receives the attention it deserves. Fungi hold the key to a more resilient planet. Understanding and protecting them isn’t just an ecological necessity—it’s a survival strategy.
References
Frey, S.D. (2019). "Mycorrhizal Fungi as Mediators of Soil Organic Matter Dynamics." Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 50, 237–259.
Schmidt, M. et al. (2011). "Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property." Nature, 478, 49–56.
Soudzilovskaia, N.A. et al. (2019). "Global mycorrhizal plant distribution linked to terrestrial carbon stocks." Nature Communications, 10, 1–10.
Guignard, M.A. et al. (2017). "Impacts of nitrogen and phosphorus: From genomes to natural ecosystems and agriculture." Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 5, 7.
Li, B. et al. (2019). "Peak phosphorus, demand trends and implications for the sustainable management of phosphorus in China." Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 146, 316–328.
Alaux, P.L. et al. (2021). "Can common mycorrhizal fungal networks be managed to enhance ecosystem functionality?" Plants, People, Planet, 3(5), 433-444.
Pandey, D. et al. (2019). "Mycorrhizal Fungi: Biodiversity, Ecological Significance, and Industrial Applications." In: Yadav, A. et al. Recent Advancement in White Biotechnology Through Fungi. Springer, Cham. 181-199.
Guerra, C.A. et al. (2022). "Global vulnerability of soil ecosystems to erosion." Landscape Ecology, 35, 823.