Scientists Uncover Vast Fungal Network Extending Beyond Earth

WHO:

Ars Technica - Researchers associated with the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) conducted the study.

WHAT:

The Times of India - Scientists mapped a vast underground network of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi stretching an estimated 110 quadrillion kilometres across Earth's topsoil.

The Times of India - The study revealed that Earth's topsoils contain approximately 300 megatons of carbon locked inside these fungal networks.

The Times of India - The networks help sequester up to one billion metric tons of carbon each year.

The Times of India - Fungal concentrations in agricultural land can be nearly 50% lower than in undisturbed environments.

WHERE:

The Times of India - The fungal networks are found beneath forests, grasslands, and soil in gardens globally.

The Times of India - Large wetland systems, including Florida's Everglades and South Sudan's Sudd wetlands, are identified as important hotspots for fungal communities.

WHEN:

The Times of India - The study suggests that these fungi played a crucial role in helping plants colonise land roughly 475 million years ago.

WHY:

The Times of India - The discovery matters for climate change as the fungi help regulate Earth's climate by storing carbon and supporting ecosystem health.

The Times of India - The decline of fungal networks in agricultural lands is concerning because it may make crops more dependent on synthetic fertilizers and less resilient to environmental stresses.

HOW:

The Times of India - The study used more than 16,000 soil samples and advanced computer modelling to create a detailed global map of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

The Times of India - Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi form mutually beneficial relationships with approximately 70% of all land plants, helping them absorb water and essential nutrients.

(UPDATED June 13, 2026 19:24 UTC)

Researchers from the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks have mapped a vast underground network of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which stretches an estimated 110 quadrillion kilometers across Earth's topsoil. This study reveals that these fungal networks, found beneath forests, grasslands, and gardens globally, contain about 300 megatons of carbon and help sequester up to one billion metric tons of carbon each year, playing a crucial role in regulating Earth's climate. However, the decline of these networks in agricultural lands is concerning, as it could lead to crops becoming more reliant on synthetic fertilizers and less resilient to environmental stresses.