An Underground Network - The Internet Beneath Our Feet

When people think about the world's largest networks, they usually imagine the internet.

But scientists have now mapped something even bigger.

A new global study reveals arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi – microscopic fungi living in the soil – form an underground network stretching an estimated 110 quadrillion kilometres across the planet. Rather than one giant organism, it functions more like the internet itself with billions of interconnected local networks linking plant roots and exchanging nutrients, water and carbon.

More than 70% of all land plants, including many food crops, rely on these fungal partnerships to help access nutrients beyond the reach of their own roots.

Researchers found the densest fungal networks occur in relatively undisturbed grasslands, savannas and forests across tropical and subtropical regions. Agricultural land often contains lower fungal densities due to cultivation, soil disturbance and intensive farming practices.

The discovery highlights a hidden reality of food production. Beneath every productive farm, orchard and forest lies a biological communications and distribution system that's been quietly supporting plant life for hundreds of millions of years.

As farmers increasingly focus on soil health, regenerative agriculture and resilience to climate pressures, this underground "internet" may prove to be one of the most valuable assets in global food production.

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