Mycorrhizal fungi identified as key tool for land restoration

Researchers are proposing the use of mycorrhizal fungi to restore degraded lands and combat desertification and the climate crisis. During the 17th United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP17) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, scientists Toby Kiers and Burenjargal Otgonsuren presented findings on how these organisms form symbiotic relationships with plant roots.

These fungal networks exchange carbon from plants for essential nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, while also helping plants access water. The networks assist in aggregating soil particles, reducing erosion, and increasing plant resilience to drought.

A strategy tested in Mongolia involves fencing off small areas of pasture to prevent human and animal interference. These protected zones act as underground biodiversity refuges that can serve as sources of local fungi for future land restoration projects. Toby Kiers, executive director of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), described the process as a living underground infrastructure that functions like a circulatory system, connecting life above and below the soil.