{"id":3834,"date":"2026-06-12T14:25:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T14:25:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/?page_id=3834"},"modified":"2026-06-12T14:25:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T14:25:31","slug":"a-rede-gigante-de-fungos-subterraneos-que-alimenta-as-plantas-e-protege-o-clima","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/?page_id=3834","title":{"rendered":"The giant network of subterranean fungi that feeds plants and protects the climate"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sinapsees.com\/img\/sites\/img_fungos2.jpg\" alt=\"\" style=\"width:100%\"><figcaption>Image via <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/pt-br\/fotografias\/goticulas-de-agua-no-painel-de-vidro-YIKYquFdVIo\" target=\"_blank\">Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><hr><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\r\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adu4373\" target=\"_blank\">doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adu4373<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/sinapsees.com\/credibilidade_estudo.php?c=42126\">Credibility<\/a>: <font color=\"#00FFFF\">9<\/font><font color=\"#00FF00\">8<\/font><font color=\"#FFFF00\">9<\/font><br><a href='http:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\"s=fungi'>#Fungi<\/a><\/p><p><\/p><p>\r\n\t<!-- audio --><\/p><p>\r\n<button onclick=\"this.nextElementSibling.play()\" style=\"padding:12px 25px; font-size:18px; border:none; border-radius:8px; cursor:pointer;\">Listen<\/button><audio src=\"https:\/\/sinapsees.com\/audios\/42126-eng.mp3\" preload=\"none\"><\/audio><\/p><p>\r\n\t<strong>Just below the Earth&#8217;s surface lies a vast network of carbon-rich fungi that intertwine with plant roots<\/strong><\/p><p> This vast underground &#8220;infrastructure&#8221; has just been revealed for the first time in a global digital map.<\/p><p>\r\nBesides exchanging nutrients with plants, these fungi also help regulate the planet&#8217;s climate.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\nArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, an ancient group that lives in most terrestrial ecosystems, form partnerships with about 70% of the world&#8217;s plant species.<\/p><p>\r\nThey provide water and nutrients to plants in exchange for carbon.<\/p><p>\r\n&#8220;Some people say that plants save the fungi, but the fungi also save the plants,&#8221; explains Justin Stewart of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks.<\/p><p>\r\n&#8220;If a plant doesn&#8217;t live in symbiosis with these fungi, it&#8217;s almost an exception in the plant world.&#8221;\r\n<\/p><p>\r\nGiven the importance of these organisms, Stewart and his team decided to map this hidden network.<\/p><p>\r\n&#8220;We asked ourselves: will it be possible to map the Earth&#8217;s underground circulatory system&#8221;&#8221; says Toby Kiers, also from the organization.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\nThe researchers analyzed data from more than 16,000 soil samples collected in 322 previous studies.<\/p><p>\r\nThey also used robotic imaging to measure more than 300,000 fungal filaments cultivated in the laboratory.<\/p><p>\r\nWith this information, they were able to estimate the total biomass and the amount of carbon stored in the networks, extending the calculations to deserts, tundras, forests, and other areas where there were no direct measurements.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\nThe results are impressive: the amount of carbon stored in these fungi around the world is equivalent to about five times the mass of all living human beings combined.<\/p><p>\r\n&#8220;They are fundamental to many functions of the planet,&#8221; says Stewart.<\/p><p>\r\n&#8220;For example, they pull carbon into the soil, which is very important for combating climate change.&#8221;<\/p><p>\r\nAbout 40% of these fungi are concentrated in grassland ecosystems, especially in South Sudan, the Florida Everglades, and the Tibetan Plateau.<\/p><p>\r\nThis worries scientists because these areas are being rapidly converted into agricultural land.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\nIn cultivated areas, the presence of fungi is much lower: the networks are about 50% less dense than in natural ecosystems, even though there are many plants.<\/p><p>\r\nThis happens because fungicides kill the fungi directly, plowing breaks their networks, and the excessive use of fertilizers impairs the natural exchange of nutrients for carbon.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\nPrevious studies have already shown that certain fungicides reduce the amount of filaments by up to 70% and root colonization by beneficial species by up to 80%.<\/p><p>\r\n&#8220;Supporting these fungi is not just an ecological issue, but a practical way to improve soil health, resilience, and long-term crop productivity,&#8221; says Laura Carter of the University of Leeds.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\nExperts like Steven Allison of the University of California point out that cultivated plants may be losing important benefits such as access to nutrients, drought resistance, and carbon storage.<\/p><p>\r\nThe good news is that now that the scale of the problem has been quantified, it&#8217;s easier to create solutions: farmers can add fungal spores to the soil, reduce plowing, and use less fertilizer.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\nThe study doesn&#8217;t mean that all fungi are connected in a single large global network, like the famous &#8220;Wood Wide Web.&#8221; The researchers only calculated how many filaments exist on the planet.<\/p><p>\r\nAlong with the article, they released an interactive map showing the global distribution of these networks in unprecedented detail.<\/p><p>\r\nThe findings will be presented to policymakers at the UN summit on desertification in Mongolia in August.\r\n<\/p><p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"560\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">??<br>The giant network of subterranean fungi that feeds plants and protects the climate<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/hashtag\/Fungi'src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Fungi<\/a><br><br>Just below the Earth&#39;s surface lies a vast network of carbon-rich fungi that intertwine with plant roots<br>Read more:<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/G0nPCrubkP\">https:\/\/t.co\/G0nPCrubkP<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qGwp2i8sdb\">pic.twitter.com\/qGwp2i8sdb<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Rare Earth (@rareearth0) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/rareearth0\/status\/2066115552620241219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 14, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<hr>\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"text-align:right\"><em>Published in 06\/12\/2026 14h25<\/em><\/p>\r\n<hr>\r\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/?page_id=26711\">Portuguese version<\/a><\/em><\/p>\r\n<hr>\r\n\r\n\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption. Information about DOI, author and institution can be found in the body of the article.<\/p>\r\n\t\t<hr>\r\n\t\t<p>Reference article:<\/p>\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2530122-global-map-reveals-the-vast-scale-of-underground-fungal-networks\/\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/www.newscientist.com\/article\/2530122-global-map-reveals-the-vast-scale-of-underground-fungal-networks\/<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Original study: <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adu4373\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adu4373<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator is-style-wide\"\/>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position: buttonline;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/sinapsees.com\/rodape_sites.php?arg=42126\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"420px\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<div style=\"position: buttonline;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/sinapsees.com\/comentario_navegacao.php?arg=42126\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"500px\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<div style=\"position:absolute; width:40%; height:70px; top:-70px; left:0px;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/sinapsees.com\/oferta_site_esq.php?arg=42126\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"100%\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n<div style=\"position:absolute; width:40%; height:70px; top:-70px; right:0px;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/sinapsees.com\/oferta_site_dir.php?arg=42126\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"100%;\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/sinapsees.com\/oferta_site_centralus.php\" width=\"100%\" height=\"330\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><figcaption>{teste}<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><hr>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":62,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3834","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3834\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/62"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/terrarara.com.br\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}