Fungi Weigh More Than All Humans

Scientists have unveiled the first high-resolution global map of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi — the underground networks that quietly support plant life — revealing they weigh five times more than all humans combined. Using a robotic data collector named Prince and over 300,000 measurements, researchers combined field data with mathematical models to estimate global fungal biomass and create a detailed, square-kilometer map. Despite the staggering numbers, the team was surprised they weren’t even higher, spending weeks verifying their calculations. They’re treating the maps as living documents, even publishing “maps of ignorance” to spotlight data gaps — guiding future research to the most uncertain areas. This breakthrough illuminates a hidden but vital part of Earth’s ecosystems, reminding us how much remains to be discovered beneath our feet. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b768c3dd7af2172e