Fungi take up more mass than people—see how they stretch across the Earth - National Geographic

Scientists created the first-ever map of this vast underground fungal network and found it could stretch to the sun and back more than a billion times.

We might only think of fungi as the mold in our walls, the fleshy protrusions on rotting logs, or the button mushrooms for sale in the grocery store—but most fungal life takes place far out of human sight.

The “roots” of the fungus under the soil form the organism’s mycelium. There, tiny filaments called hyphae form networks among plants and supply them with the essential nutrients they need to grow.

A new study, published today in Science, has attempted to quantify the extent of these hyphae networks. For the first time, scientists have created a global map showing where these types of fungi are most likely to be found.

“Using machine-learning models and evidence from thousands of soil cores, scientists also found that a single type of fungus—called arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi—collectively weigh 300 megatons, four to six times the mass of every human on the planet. The tiny hyphal fingers of these networks reach far enough to stretch from Earth to the sun and back nearly a billion times.”

Excerpt From  
“Fungi take up more mass than people—see how they stretch across the Earth”  
Bethany Brookshire  
National Geographic  
https://apple.news/AX1WX1WDaR1OFHjaAzZqwKQ  
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Fungi take up more mass than people—see how they stretch across the Earth — National Geographic