Wood Wide Web: Scientists to map hotspots of fungal life
By: Helen Briggs
A science mission is set to explore one of the final frontiers of untapped knowledge on the planet - the fungal networks in the soil beneath us.
Fungi form an underground network of connections with plant roots, helping to recycle nutrients and to lock up planet-warming CO2 in the soil.
But little is known about this giant mesh of fungi and its role in fighting climate change.
It is part of what's popularly known as the Wood Wide Web.
This is an underground network of plant roots and fungi that, among other things, allows trees to share nutrients.
And scientists say "underground conservation" has been long overlooked.
