Global map shows fungal network 110 quadrillion km

For the first time, scientists have quantified the staggering scale of Earth's hidden fungal circulatory system, revealing that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi form a global network stretching an estimated 110 quadrillion kilometers through the planet's soils. Published on June 11, 2026, in the journal Science, the new research provides a comprehensive map of these vital underground organisms, which form symbiotic partnerships with roughly 70 to 80 percent of the world's plant species.

The study, led by researchers from the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), synthesized data from over 16,000 soil samples across the globe. Using machine learning and robotic imaging, the team estimated the network's total biomass at approximately 300 million tons, a mass four to six times greater than that of all living humans combined. These fungal threads, or hyphae, transport water and nutrients like phosphorus to plants in exchange for carbon, sequestering an estimated 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent underground annually.

The mapping effort yielded significant surprises regarding the distribution of these networks. Contrary to assumptions that tropical forests...