Threads of Earth’s Underground Fungal Networks Are Long Enough to Reach Beyond the Solar System
A new study has mapped global underground fungal networks, revealing they span 110 quadrillion kilometers and play a critical role in carbon sequestration. These networks are essential for plant health and atmospheric regulation, yet they have historically lacked formal protection.
Why it matters
Understanding these vast fungal networks is vital for climate change mitigation, as they store billions of tons of carbon that would otherwise warm the atmosphere.
June 11, 2026 Share This Article Republish Jinsu Elhance collects soil samples in the Mojave Desert for the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks. Credit: SPUN Related Behind the Scenes: Uncovering the Secret Lives of Cacti and Fungi in the Sonoran Desert New Study Reveals Mycorrhizal Fungal Hotspots and Their Lack of Protections Searching for Hidden Fungi in the Sonoran Desert Share This Article Republish Most Popular New BLM Grazing Rules Eliminate Tribal Buffalo From Public Lands A Water Crisis Has The ‘Poster Boys’ of Iowa Farming Ready to Talk Regulation Alaskans Reel From the Loss of National Science Foundation Ocean-Monitoring Instruments Hidden underground around the world lie 110 quadrillion kilometers of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks—webs of ultra-thin threads that, if connected in a single line, would stretch almost a billion times thge distance between the Earth and the sun, according to new research published in Science on Thursday.
The article relies on scientific research published in Science and provides a neutral overview of environmental findings.
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