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Italian Study Maps Global Fungal Network, Warns Agricultural Carbon Loss

7/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Italy's researchers mapped the global fungal network from 322 studies and 16,000 soil samples.
They estimate the network spans about 110 quadrillion kilometers, stores 300 megatons of carbon, and moves 4 billion metric tons of CO2 into soil each year.
Scientists warn that agricultural soils have half the fungal density of natural lands and that converting grasslands—holding 40 percent of arbuscular mycorrhizal biomass—into agriculture could cut carbon storage and nutrient recycling.

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Story summary

Italy's researchers mapped the global fungal network from 322 studies and 16,000 soil samples.
They estimate the network spans about 110 quadrillion kilometers, stores 300 megatons of carbon, and moves 4 billion metric tons of CO2 into soil each year.
Scientists warn that agricultural soils have half the fungal density of natural lands and that converting grasslands—holding 40 percent of arbuscular mycorrhizal biomass—into agriculture could cut carbon storage and nutrient recycling.