American evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers has been honoured with the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for the environment”, for her pioneering work on mycorrhizal networks.
These underground fungal systems form vast nutrient-exchange networks beneath forests, grasslands and agricultural lands worldwide.
Mycorrhizal fungi establish a symbiotic relationship with plants, wherein plants supply carbohydrates to the fungi in exchange for improved access to water and essential nutrients. These networks play a critical role in climate regulation by drawing down approximately 13 billion tonnes of carbon annually, highlighting their significance in global carbon cycles and ecosystem health.
