Hidden beneath the soil lie threads of fungal magic, stretching a billion times further than Earth to the sun. According to new research by SPUN, these mycorrhizal networks form intricate relationships with plant roots, providing nutrients and sequestering carbon.

The study reveals the global distribution of these systems, mapping their density in grasslands and decline in agricultural areas. This breakthrough helps us understand just how significant these below-ground organisms are to our above-ground world.

Professor James Bever notes that this research aids in grasping the importance of underground life for everything we see on Earth's surface. The next step: uncovering what else lies unseen beneath our feet, and how it shapes the planet.

The executive director of SPUN, Toby Kiers, shares, 'We went from knowing this system exists to really understanding its density and locations.' As we explore the vastness beyond, perhaps the answers lie closer than we think—perhaps even underground.