Fungi's Hidden World Wins Major Environmental Prize

American evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers has been honored with the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for her pioneering research into underground fungal networks. These extensive mycorrhizal webs, often overlooked, play a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate, sequestering approximately 13.12 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, a significant portion of fossil fuel emissions.

Kiers' work has redefined our understanding of these subterranean systems, revealing them as complex biological marketplaces. Fungi, through filaments thinner than human hair, engage in a sophisticated exchange of phosphorus and nitrogen with plant roots for sugars and fats. Her research has demonstrated that fungi act as shrewd traders, managing resource distribution based on supply and demand, even employing tactics to drive up value.

Through initiatives like the global "Underground Atlas" and the co-founding of the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), Kiers is advocating for the conservation of these vital ecosystems. SPUN is launching an "Underground Advocates" program to empower scientists with legal tools to protect fungal biodiversity, aiming to shift global perspectives on life from the surface downward.