Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)

Beneath forests, fields and farmland are large networks of mycorrhizal fungi that connect to plant roots.

Fungi are a group of living things that includes mushrooms.

The fungi networks help plants by sharing food. They are also helping fight climate change by taking in 13 billion tonnes of carbon every year. This is about a third of total emissions from fossil fuels.

American scientist Toby Kiers studies these fungi.

Last month, she won the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for her important research. The impressive award is sometimes called the “Nobel for the environment”.

Kiers and her team created a worldwide map showing where mycorrhizal fungi are found. Their group, the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, also advocates for the protection of fungal biodiversity, which is often overlooked in conservation.

“Life as we know it exists because of fungi,” Kiers said.