Underground Networking: The Amazing Connections Beneath Your Feet

Taking a leisurely stroll through a forest, it’s relatively easy to spot things and happenings at the eye level and above. Birds, sunlight, canopy – there is a lot to observe and get amused by. But have you ever focused on what’s happening beneath the soil, leaves and mosses?

Nonetheless, it’s important to note how human activities have been exacerbating the effects of climate change, turning the transition into an emergency for every nation, citizen and living organism. Innovative approaches are the need of the hour, as per Eco Discussion.

The establishment of a ‘Mosaic Forest’ in France is one such amazing approach that is helping the nation in adapting to the concerning changes. The goal is to develop resilient and adaptable ecosystems that can fight the effects of global heating, not just plant trees.

Understanding The Organisms That Help Trees Talk

Next time you’re walking through a forest, take a moment to also think about the complex processes happening round the clock underneath your feet. Beneath the forest floor, intertwined with the roots of the trees, is a fascinating microscopic network of fungus.

The term ‘fungus’ may make some of us imagine mushrooms sprouting out of the ground. But mushrooms are, in fact, the “fruit” of the fungus. The majority of the fungal organism is known to live in the soil interwoven with tree roots as a gigantic network of mycelium.

Mycelium are tiny ‘threads’ that wrap around or bore into tree roots. They compose a ‘mycorrhizal network’ that connects individual plants together and facilitates the essential transfer of water, nitrogen, carbon and other minerals.

There is even a name for this cooperation. German forester Peter Wohlleben dubbed this network the “woodwide web” as it is through the mycelium that trees ‘communicate’. Some even suggest older trees pass resources to seedlings and help them as a parent might.

Saplings growing in particularly shady areas usually do not have access to sufficient sunlight to perform adequate photosynthesis. For survival, they are known to depend on nutrients and sugar from older, taller trees sent through the gigantic mycorrhizal network.

Trees In A Complex Symbiotic Relationship For Survival

As a sort of payment for their services, the network retains about 30% of the sugar that the connected trees generate through photosynthesis. The sugar supports the fungi, that in turn collect nutrients into the mycelium, which are then transferred to and used by the trees.

There is even a popular concept of ‘mother trees’. These are older, more seasoned trees and have the most fungal connections. Through the mycorrhizal network, these hub trees trace ill neighbours and send them needed nutrients. They also help younger saplings.

The aforementioned findings and concepts suggest trees across the globe have developed a complex symbiotic relationship for species survival. The underground fungus is often acting in its own best interest, but it facilitates health and survival of even the biggest trees.

Nonetheless, it’s important to note that such key processes happening underneath the forest floor are hard to track. Moreover, no one knows how to measure fungal fitness. Is it reflected in the number of mushrooms above ground or the size of the network below?