Fungi's Carbon Storage Key to Reaching Net Zero, Study Finds.

Mycorrhizal fungi, which form symbiotic relationships with nearly all land plants, could be essential to reaching net zero emissions, according to a meta-analysis published in Current Biology. The study estimates that as much as 36% of yearly global fossil fuel emissions are allocated to mycorrhizal fungi annually, equivalent to 13.12 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalents. However, the permanence of carbon within mycorrhizal structures remains unclear, and the researchers emphasize the urgent need for further empirical study of carbon and nutrient fluxes between plants and mycorrhizal fungi.