Science
Mycorrhizae May Save Soil and Reduce Global Warming Forever
A new study conducted by the University of Sheffield has found that Fungi have enormous potential to save soil and reduce global warming for good.
The fungi studied in the research are called mycorrhizae, and they can be found all over the planet, from grasslands and forests to roads, gardens, and even houses. Mycorrhizal fungi are responsible for storing up to 36% of the world’s yearly fossil fuel emissions underground. That’s more than what the United States, India, and the European Union emit together in an entire year.
According to this research, mycorrhizae store over 13 gigatons of carbon worldwide. Scientists are beginning to believe that they are extremely valuable in our need to reduce global warming. Researchers are now exploring ways to possibly increase the amount of carbon that the soil can hold in the hopes to aid forests in absorbing CO2 pollution and effectively reducing the harmful impacts of global warming and climate change.
“Much focus has been placed on protecting and restoring forests as a natural way to mitigate climate change”, says lead author of the study Dr. Heidi Hawkins in the ScienceDaily release. “But little attention has been paid to the fate of the vast amounts of carbon dioxide that are moved from the atmosphere during photosynthesis by those plants and sent belowground to mycorrhizal fungi.”
By investigating the extent to which carbon is stored by mycorrhizal fungi within soil, the researchers are confident that they can also begin to find soil degradation solutions, reducing or even stopping the alarming rate of soil degradation due to intensive farming practices. While global warming has enormous exposure in comparison, the impending soil crisis is without a doubt one of the most pressing issues of our time.
The UN warns that 90% of Earth’s precious topsoil could be at risk by 2050. Most of the food we consume comes from soil. Plants extract nutrients from soils and store them in their tissues.
The nutritional value of fruits and vegetables has declined by up to 38% since the 1950s due to soil degradation. Considering that Mediterranean diets— which consist of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and whole grains—have been shown to add up to 13 years to the average human life span, it becomes extremely crucial that soil degradation be included in biodiversity and conservation policies—something these motivational scientists are pushing heavily for in order to save soil.
Dr. Toby Kiers, Executive Director & Chief Scientist of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) also had the following to say in the ScienceDaily release: “Mycorrhizal fungi lie at the base of the food webs that support much of life on Earth, but we are just starting to understand how they actually work. There’s still so much to learn.”
The researchers are continuing their efforts to better understand how these soil fungi, along with other microorganisms, work their magic in moving carbon belowground. One thing is certain: this understanding may hold the key to stopping global warming and enhancing our lifespan by enriching our soil.
IC INSPIRATION
Have you noticed that when scientific progress happens in one area, it happens in multiple other areas, even in the areas that the original discovery had no obvious connection to in the first place?
When iron was used as means of producing carbon-free fuel, the possibility of supplying astronauts with water had presented itself using the same methodology.
When the nature of the brains internal compass in orienting a persons sense of direction was studied, the possibility of developing methods to help cure Alzheimer’s presented itself, again using the same methodology.
And now, studying the extent and manner in which mycorrhizae can store carbon to help reduce climate change has also led scientists down a stream of inquiry that may hold the possibility of solving our soil crisis.
Mycorrhizae form symbiotic connections with plants and have been responsible for shaping life on Earth for millions of years, and human beings form connections between ideas that will go on to shape our lives on this Earth for many more incredible years to come.
In this way, there are hidden hero’s both below and above ground. When one is revealed, the other follows, even though it may not have been so obvious from the beginning.
The whole effort of Dr. Heidi Hawkins from the University of Cape Town and Dr. Toby Kiers the co-founder of SPUN is to unveil these hidden heroes below ground, and by doing that, they become inspirational heroes themselves.