Logging Switchgrass onto the Wood Wide Web
A group of scientists have allowed switchgrass, an important plant for biofuel production, to tap into the nutrients and signals transmitted by underground fungal networks (sometimes known as the wood wide web). This research was led by Zhenzhen Qiao at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oklahoma. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are underground helpers The term wood wide web refers to the network of fungal filaments, called hyphae, that are found in the soils of forests and fields. Some of these fungi can grow into and around plant roots, forming a close, mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship. The fungi act as a sort of extension to the plants’ root systems, helping them acquire water and nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil. In exchange, the plants can provide the fungi with carbon-based compounds from their photosynthetic processes, like sugars and fats. Many microscopic organisms contribute to this wood wide web, but in temperate climates like Europe and North ...