The hidden networks of fungi that are silently helping plants and trees to lock away carbon and combat climate change is the subject of an award-winning essay. She won the Young Science Writer of the Year Award from the Association of British Science Writers.
Image source, Victoria GillBillions of living things can't be seen by the naked eye in a forest. Most of us could not imagine how much of a contribution these species make to our planet.
While we know that forests play a major role in counteracting global warming, what we don't know is how tiny organisms hidden in the soil help keep greenhouse gas emissions down.
The trees in our forests absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to make sugar and oxygen. The carbon becomes part of the tree's "biomass".
This is how trees fight global warming. The Amazon rainforest has taken in 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in the last two decades.
There is a vast community of micro-scale fungi that are intertwined with trees.
According to a study led by researchers from Imperial College London, certain trees absorb CO2 quicker than others. The "CO2 fertilisation effect" is what it's called.
The root system of a tree is home to these fungi. The tree gets more water, carbon and other resources from the fungi. The tree gives food to the fungi through photosynthesis.
The process of rotting can be slowed with the help of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The fungi have two ways to fight global warming.
Insights into the role of fungi in growth have been applied to agriculture. Future sustainable farming is thought to be possible with the use of friendly fungus.
It has been shown in research that planting the AMF in the soil can help enrich soil fertility and reduce CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
Image source, Getty ImagesA more sustainable alternative to chemical fertilisers can be found in the use of these fungi.
The global biofertiliser market has reached a value of more than $2 billion.
It costs a lot to switch from chemical to biological Fertilisers. Chemical fertilisers do a better job of boosting crop yield than biological fertilisers do. In the UK, the government has developed a scheme called the sustainable farming incentive, which is believed to be more beneficial for the soil and the environment. Farmers who choose to use more sustainable practices will be given financial assistance.
Those helpful fungi could get a boost if we moved away from the use of chemical fertilisers.
Some chemicals are putting forest fungi at risk, according to scientists. According to Dr Colin Averill, a senior scientist at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland, chemical fertilisers break down theycorrhizal relationship between plants and fungi.
A reduction in carbon content of forest soil can be linked to the loss of soil Fungi. Climate change-fighting is disrupted by the destruction of the fungi along with their host trees.
It is possible to repair the system. Dr Averill says that by moving soil from rich, biodiverse "donor" sites to sites where soil is not as rich, it can be restored to its original state.
These steps are needed to help protect the communities.
The Society for the Protection of Underground Networks has set out to map these networks and understand their role in protecting our soil. The goal of the project is to protect the ancient life support system and to help us fight climate change.
The network of protecting our planet is formed by the small and hidden fungi. Scientists who study them think we can do more to protect them.
The young science writer of the year is a 14-year-old girl. Students are invited to submit an 800-word essay for the Young Science Writer of the Year award. Young people are encouraged to write and think about the big questions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
