In our underground world, there are many kinds of fungi are present that are of special importance for humans. These intriguing creatures are used to reduce the efforts in taming global warming.
Dr. E.T. Kiers is an evolutionary biologist. She is on a mission to create a precise map explaining the vast and mysterious universe of underground fungi that could be vital in the era of climate change. She wants to know which fungi species are where and what they do ? and which should be immediately protected?. in order to solve these vital questions, she is making an atlas. Kiers said that “Right now, we are concerned so heavily on the overground, that we are literally missing half the picture,”.
Her journey to southern Chile along with the team aims to fill in some of the gaps in knowledge about fungi. Some species can store exceptional levels of carbon underground. The help in keeping it out of the air and preventing it from heating up the Earth’s atmosphere. Others help plants survive brutal droughts or fight off pests. Some are good at feeding nutrients to crops. They also reduce the need for chemical fertilizers.
To understand this kingdom is to see the natural world differently. Humans are dominating as individual species in this web of organisms. But all the organisms from the web. They face the crisis together and build different strategies to combat them together for survival.
Source: The Newyork Times