The root system you see here isn’t just part of the plant: it’s joined by fungi, making it a mycorrhiza — a symbiosis of plant and fungi. Most plants rely on mycorrhizae — the fungi elements give the roots better access to precious nutrients like phosphorous and water, and the plant bits give the fungus sugars and lipids.
“But — “, you no doubt were thinking, “I thought this was a history post”!
And indeed it is: turns out that mycorrhizal fungi were responsible for fashioning life on this planet as we know it. Back in the Devonian Period (over 400 million years ago), algae grew in the sea but not on land — there was no soil, the climate was too extreme, and plants hadn’t developed roots yet. But fungi evolved that could provide a solid root structure and burrow into the ground to hunt for and extract various nutrients. They merged with plants in a glorious exchange deal, and thereafter populated the earth.
But wait there’s more: many scientists suspect that the lowly mycorrhizal root systems were responsible for adapting the climate in a way that made the atmosphere hospitable for the life on earth that exists today. The mycorrhizal fungi help plants adjust to fluxes in water and temperature change, and they also draw CO² into the earth, sequestering it. The Devonian Period experienced a steep drop in temperature alongside a reduction in CO² that made things like mammals (and therefore us humans) possible.
Thank your lowly fungus today. 🍄
Source: image from @ecofarmingdaily, _The huge impact of mycorrhizal colonization on plant and soil health”, by Paul Reed Hepperly, David Douds, and Mike Amaranthus
