The fungus among us

What this episode covers

Dr. Heidi-Jayne Hawkins, lead author of a new study in Current Biology and research director at Conservation South Africa, explains that mycorrhizal fungi act as an underground extension of plant roots, creating a global carbon pool of approximately 13 gigatons of CO2 equivalents. This symbiotic relationship boosts plant photosynthetic rates by 5-20%, effectively sequestering carbon that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere. Hawkins discusses the evolutionary history of this partnership, its ubiquity across 90% of plant species, and the critical uncertainty regarding the permanence of this carbon storage. She argues that rather than treating fungi as a direct carbon reduction mechanism, we should focus on nature-based solutions like no-till agriculture and ecosystem restoration to protect and enhance these natural sinks.