Researchers have discovered that one of nature's unsung heroes hiding deep beneath the forest floor could be key to saving Colombia's ancient endangered black oak trees.
As Mongabay reported, a team of ecologists has spent the past two years scouring the country's forests for mycorrhizae, fungi known for having a symbiotic relationship with many plant roots.
The fungi grow around roots, forming an extensive underground network that reaches deep within the soil. As mycorrhizal fungi break down plant matter, they extract nutrients from the soil and deliver them to root systems. In exchange, the fungi receive carbohydrates from the plants that help them survive.
Because of this beneficial relationship, researchers believe mycorrhizal fungi are critical to preserving Colombia's black oaks.
The oaks are believed to be some of the oldest on Earth and once flourished in the high-altitude cloud forests in Colombia. However, only five small patches of black oaks remain after centuries of logging and agriculture decimated the population, Mongabay noted.
But mycorrhizae is already showing promise for the black oaks. Two years ago, fungi ecologist Adriana Corrales and other researchers and community members launched a black oak conservation project to help restore the population using tree seeds "inoculated" with the fungi.
After a successful test run, the team began planting black oak seedlings throughout forests and along waterways and has replanted 424 oaks so far. With the help of the friendly fungi, life is returning to Colombia's forests.
"By preserving the oak, more and more birds are around, and it doesn't get as hot as before," local resident Nelly Salazar Asturillo, whose family has 47 acres of thriving black oaks on their land, told Mongabay. "For many years, we haven't seen beehives around, and now the bees are also coming back."
Healthy forests are also important for humans since they help filter the air and water, soak up carbon from the atmosphere, provide food and fuel, and aid in keeping temperatures down.
Lucia Urbano, a local coffee farmer in Colombia, planted 40 black oak saplings on her property after realizing that future generations would benefit from her efforts to reforest the land.
"Looking back at the deforestation, lack of water, and climate change, I became more aware of the need to preserve the trees. I have children and grandchildren and worry about their future here," she told Mongabay.
"We need to develop a more ecosystemic vision of forests. If the black oak disappears, the fungi also do, and if the fungi disappear, so will the oaks," Corrales added.
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