Podcast examines fungal networks and their ecological role

Scientists have long highlighted the role of plants and animals in sustaining planetary health, but evolutionary biologist Dr Toby Kiers argues that fungi deserve equal attention. A MacArthur Fellow and recipient of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, Kiers founded the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks to champion the study of subterranean life. In a recent interview with *The Guardian*, she explained how her research is reshaping our understanding of the hidden infrastructure that supports ecosystems worldwide.

Kiers’ latest fieldwork focused on Palmyra Atoll, a remote Pacific island where she mapped extensive fungal networks that weave through the island’s soil and coral. Her team’s measurements suggest that underground fungal networks span more than 100 quadrillion kilometres globally—a figure that dwarfs the combined length of all human-made roads. These findings underscore fungi’s pivotal role in nutrient cycling, plant communication, and carbon sequestration, revealing a vast, largely invisible system that underpins terrestrial and marine environments alike.

The implications of Kiers’ work extend beyond academic curiosity. By illuminating the scale and function of fungal networks, her research highlights the need to protect these ecosystems from climate change, pollution, and land‑use alterations. As the scientific community continues to uncover the depth of fungal influence, conservation strategies may increasingly incorporate the preservation of underground networks as a critical component of global environmental stewardship.