Protect the
underground
Fungi support much of life on earth. SPUN is a scientific research organization founded to map mycorrhizal fungal communities and advocate for their protection.
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latest update
August 13, 2024
Using eDNA to identify invisible underground fungi
Most mycorrhizal fungi live their entire lives underground – many of them don’t even make mushrooms, the fruiting bodies of fungi that pop up above the soil level. The hidden nature of these organisms can make studying them particularly challenging. For organisms like plants and animals, scientists can gather observational data, counting and recording or tagging study subjects. When it comes to belowground fungi and microbes, these surveys become more complicated.
Mycorrhizal fungal networks sustain and enrich life on our planet
Through our Underground Explorers Program, we collaborate with researchers and local communities to map mycorrhizal fungal networks.
Together with researchers from National University of Lesotho, SPUN is sampling mycorrhizal communities of high-altitude wetlands that store extraordinary amounts of carbon. Surveys of these wetlands are becoming urgent as these unique southern African ecosystems are facing rapid warming and increased droughts.
Together with GlobalFungi, Global Soil Mycobiome Consortium, the Crowther Lab, and researchers, SPUN is building a global database of mycorrhizal diversity. This will allow us to quantify biodiversity hot-spots and identify underground ecosystems of high conservation priority.
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