What Lies Beneath

Recently I contributed to an article about the dark web which lurks beneath the woodland floor, namely the fungi.

Written by Fiona Collins, the article draws heavily on the recognised expertise of fungal expert Professor Lynne Boddy from the University of Cardiff. I’ve had the privilege of working with Lynne in various ways during my professional life, and what she doesn’t know about fungi, is definitely worth knowing because she is always the first to admit that there is so much we don’t know.

“There are so many unanswered questions. We don’t really know what impact non-native fungi might have on our native networks when imported on roots for example. We don’t know if we can improve the fungi in soils to make trees more resilient and healthy. We don’t even fully understand what triggers fungi to fruit and create the mushrooms and toadstools we see in our woods.”

Dr Gabriel Hemery, From: What Lies Beneath, by Fiona Collins

A mycorrhizal network is like looking down on a town at night and seeing the streets aglow with moving traffic,” says Gabriel Hemery. “That’s what’s going on below our feet.”

Dr Gabriel Hemery, From: What Lies Beneath, by Fiona Collins

Download the full pdf article