Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN)
@spun.earth
SPUN is a scientific research organization dedicated to mapping and protecting Earth's underground fungal networks.
www.spun.earth
www.spun.earth
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
8️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems up to 100 times their normal reach, enabling plants to access hard-to-reach nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
See the top 10 list (www.spun.earth/articles/top...) and follow for new fungal facts.
8️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems up to 100 times their normal reach, enabling plants to access hard-to-reach nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
See the top 10 list (www.spun.earth/articles/top...) and follow for new fungal facts.
November 7, 2025 at 11:04 AM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
8️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems up to 100 times their normal reach, enabling plants to access hard-to-reach nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
See the top 10 list (www.spun.earth/articles/top...) and follow for new fungal facts.
8️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi extend root systems up to 100 times their normal reach, enabling plants to access hard-to-reach nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen.
See the top 10 list (www.spun.earth/articles/top...) and follow for new fungal facts.
Join us in welcoming Ida Auken and Sir Andrew Steer to SPUN’s Board of Directors. As #COP30 Brazil approaches, we are pleased to bring new expertise to our leadership team to help guide our climate and biodiversity strategies.
November 6, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Join us in welcoming Ida Auken and Sir Andrew Steer to SPUN’s Board of Directors. As #COP30 Brazil approaches, we are pleased to bring new expertise to our leadership team to help guide our climate and biodiversity strategies.
🇵🇪 We sampled for fungi through WATER, SOIL, and ROCK to better understand how deep soil fungi help regulate the carbon cycle with @tobykiers.bsky.social, Merlin Sheldrake, Fungi Foundation’s Giuliana Furci and collaborator Walter Huaraca 🇵🇪
Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake and Tomás Munita.
Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake and Tomás Munita.
November 5, 2025 at 3:23 PM
🇵🇪 We sampled for fungi through WATER, SOIL, and ROCK to better understand how deep soil fungi help regulate the carbon cycle with @tobykiers.bsky.social, Merlin Sheldrake, Fungi Foundation’s Giuliana Furci and collaborator Walter Huaraca 🇵🇪
Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake and Tomás Munita.
Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake and Tomás Munita.
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
7️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help clean polluted soils by breaking down or immobilizing harmful substances. They act as filters, protecting groundwater & supporting healthier ecosystems.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
7️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help clean polluted soils by breaking down or immobilizing harmful substances. They act as filters, protecting groundwater & supporting healthier ecosystems.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
October 31, 2025 at 3:13 PM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
7️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help clean polluted soils by breaking down or immobilizing harmful substances. They act as filters, protecting groundwater & supporting healthier ecosystems.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
7️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help clean polluted soils by breaking down or immobilizing harmful substances. They act as filters, protecting groundwater & supporting healthier ecosystems.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
⏰ Call for Abstracts: Closing knowledge gaps in fungal biodiversity and its conservation.
Join SPUN’s @catiacanteiro.bsky.social at the @worldbioforum.bsky.social 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadline: November 18, 2026
Link: buff.ly/Xcn1SjZ
📷 Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Join SPUN’s @catiacanteiro.bsky.social at the @worldbioforum.bsky.social 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadline: November 18, 2026
Link: buff.ly/Xcn1SjZ
📷 Konstantinos Tsakalidis
October 30, 2025 at 1:02 PM
⏰ Call for Abstracts: Closing knowledge gaps in fungal biodiversity and its conservation.
Join SPUN’s @catiacanteiro.bsky.social at the @worldbioforum.bsky.social 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadline: November 18, 2026
Link: buff.ly/Xcn1SjZ
📷 Konstantinos Tsakalidis
Join SPUN’s @catiacanteiro.bsky.social at the @worldbioforum.bsky.social 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Deadline: November 18, 2026
Link: buff.ly/Xcn1SjZ
📷 Konstantinos Tsakalidis
With Merlin Sheldrake, @tobykiers.bsky.social, @hhwalter.bsky.social, & Fungi Foundation’s Giuliana Furci, we’re mapping deep soil fungi in the high-altitude grasslands of Peru. Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake, elders from the Q'ero and Ccorca communities and Miski Tours.
📸 Tomás Munita
📸 Tomás Munita
October 29, 2025 at 4:45 PM
With Merlin Sheldrake, @tobykiers.bsky.social, @hhwalter.bsky.social, & Fungi Foundation’s Giuliana Furci, we’re mapping deep soil fungi in the high-altitude grasslands of Peru. Special thanks to Cosmo Sheldrake, elders from the Q'ero and Ccorca communities and Miski Tours.
📸 Tomás Munita
📸 Tomás Munita
SPUN Underground Explorers gather in Kathmandu for 7th conference on Mountains in the Changing World #MoChWo2025.
Dr. Samina Sarwar, Dr. Shiva Devkota and Roshan Ojha came together and shared their groundbreaking fungal research, revealing how mycorrhizal networks sustain Himalayan ecosystems. 🔬🍄⛰️
Dr. Samina Sarwar, Dr. Shiva Devkota and Roshan Ojha came together and shared their groundbreaking fungal research, revealing how mycorrhizal networks sustain Himalayan ecosystems. 🔬🍄⛰️
October 28, 2025 at 10:07 AM
SPUN Underground Explorers gather in Kathmandu for 7th conference on Mountains in the Changing World #MoChWo2025.
Dr. Samina Sarwar, Dr. Shiva Devkota and Roshan Ojha came together and shared their groundbreaking fungal research, revealing how mycorrhizal networks sustain Himalayan ecosystems. 🔬🍄⛰️
Dr. Samina Sarwar, Dr. Shiva Devkota and Roshan Ojha came together and shared their groundbreaking fungal research, revealing how mycorrhizal networks sustain Himalayan ecosystems. 🔬🍄⛰️
Are the fungi in Colombia’s moorlands >3,000m different from those along lowland coasts? Underground Explorer Luis Salcedo and Thomas Reitz collected samples across ecoregions to uncover who lives belowground.
These data will help close the tropical research gap & support conservation efforts.
These data will help close the tropical research gap & support conservation efforts.
October 22, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Are the fungi in Colombia’s moorlands >3,000m different from those along lowland coasts? Underground Explorer Luis Salcedo and Thomas Reitz collected samples across ecoregions to uncover who lives belowground.
These data will help close the tropical research gap & support conservation efforts.
These data will help close the tropical research gap & support conservation efforts.
6️⃣ Functioning like underground pumps, mycorrhizal fungi transport water from deep in the soil to plant roots. This adaptation is key for survival in arid conditions and helps plants withstand drought and water stress.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
October 20, 2025 at 11:56 AM
6️⃣ Functioning like underground pumps, mycorrhizal fungi transport water from deep in the soil to plant roots. This adaptation is key for survival in arid conditions and helps plants withstand drought and water stress.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/33Ov3UD) and follow for new fungal facts.
Recently, we mapped endemic fungal networks in Zagori 🇬🇷 with @seanmaston.bsky.social, @vkokkoris.bsky.social and team.
Vikos Gorge is a hotspot for endangered species, with underground systems supported by rock formations ~160 million yrs old.
We're now returning to cover more ground.
Vikos Gorge is a hotspot for endangered species, with underground systems supported by rock formations ~160 million yrs old.
We're now returning to cover more ground.
October 10, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Recently, we mapped endemic fungal networks in Zagori 🇬🇷 with @seanmaston.bsky.social, @vkokkoris.bsky.social and team.
Vikos Gorge is a hotspot for endangered species, with underground systems supported by rock formations ~160 million yrs old.
We're now returning to cover more ground.
Vikos Gorge is a hotspot for endangered species, with underground systems supported by rock formations ~160 million yrs old.
We're now returning to cover more ground.
Congrats to Executive Director @tobykiers.bsky.social on being named a 2025 #MacFellow by the MacArthur Foundation (buff.ly/HOU1qb7). Also called the “Genius Grant,” it’s one of the largest awards in the US, honoring exceptionally talented and creative individuals.
Shout out to fellow awardees! 👏
Shout out to fellow awardees! 👏
October 8, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Congrats to Executive Director @tobykiers.bsky.social on being named a 2025 #MacFellow by the MacArthur Foundation (buff.ly/HOU1qb7). Also called the “Genius Grant,” it’s one of the largest awards in the US, honoring exceptionally talented and creative individuals.
Shout out to fellow awardees! 👏
Shout out to fellow awardees! 👏
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
5️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi are often first responders post wildfires, droughts, and human disturbances, helping plants regenerate, rebuild root systems & reestablish nutrient pathways.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/nMNaB60) and follow for new fungal facts.
5️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi are often first responders post wildfires, droughts, and human disturbances, helping plants regenerate, rebuild root systems & reestablish nutrient pathways.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/nMNaB60) and follow for new fungal facts.
October 6, 2025 at 2:02 PM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
5️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi are often first responders post wildfires, droughts, and human disturbances, helping plants regenerate, rebuild root systems & reestablish nutrient pathways.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/nMNaB60) and follow for new fungal facts.
5️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi are often first responders post wildfires, droughts, and human disturbances, helping plants regenerate, rebuild root systems & reestablish nutrient pathways.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/nMNaB60) and follow for new fungal facts.
How did North American and European fungi end up in Argentine forests?
New research in @newphyt.bsky.social from UE @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social looks underground at how non-native tree species and their fungal partners have spread.
Read here: buff.ly/919OOs0
New research in @newphyt.bsky.social from UE @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social looks underground at how non-native tree species and their fungal partners have spread.
Read here: buff.ly/919OOs0
October 1, 2025 at 1:17 PM
How did North American and European fungi end up in Argentine forests?
New research in @newphyt.bsky.social from UE @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social looks underground at how non-native tree species and their fungal partners have spread.
Read here: buff.ly/919OOs0
New research in @newphyt.bsky.social from UE @nahpo.bsky.social and @martin-nunez.bsky.social looks underground at how non-native tree species and their fungal partners have spread.
Read here: buff.ly/919OOs0
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
4️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help draw down ~13 billion tons of carbon into the soil annually–nearly 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
4️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help draw down ~13 billion tons of carbon into the soil annually–nearly 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
September 29, 2025 at 11:42 AM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
4️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help draw down ~13 billion tons of carbon into the soil annually–nearly 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
4️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi help draw down ~13 billion tons of carbon into the soil annually–nearly 1/3 of global emissions from fossil fuels.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
Led by SPUN's @adricorrales.bsky.social, we visited Huila, Colombia with -196°C liquid nitrogen to collect fungal RNA.
RNA offers a look into the function of fungal genes, but it degrades quickly, so all samples had to be frozen immediately.
Full field update from Colombia coming soon.
RNA offers a look into the function of fungal genes, but it degrades quickly, so all samples had to be frozen immediately.
Full field update from Colombia coming soon.
September 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Led by SPUN's @adricorrales.bsky.social, we visited Huila, Colombia with -196°C liquid nitrogen to collect fungal RNA.
RNA offers a look into the function of fungal genes, but it degrades quickly, so all samples had to be frozen immediately.
Full field update from Colombia coming soon.
RNA offers a look into the function of fungal genes, but it degrades quickly, so all samples had to be frozen immediately.
Full field update from Colombia coming soon.
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
3️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi underpin food production. Most crops we rely on depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient absorption, access to water and protection from heavy metals.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
3️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi underpin food production. Most crops we rely on depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient absorption, access to water and protection from heavy metals.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
September 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
3️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi underpin food production. Most crops we rely on depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient absorption, access to water and protection from heavy metals.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
3️⃣ Mycorrhizal fungi underpin food production. Most crops we rely on depend on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrient absorption, access to water and protection from heavy metals.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/56WQ1oO) and follow for new fungal facts.
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
2️⃣ > 400 million years ago, mycorrhizal fungi enabled plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, making life on land possible.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF ) and follow for new fungal facts.
2️⃣ > 400 million years ago, mycorrhizal fungi enabled plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, making life on land possible.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF ) and follow for new fungal facts.
September 15, 2025 at 10:08 AM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
2️⃣ > 400 million years ago, mycorrhizal fungi enabled plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, making life on land possible.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF ) and follow for new fungal facts.
2️⃣ > 400 million years ago, mycorrhizal fungi enabled plants to transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments, making life on land possible.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF ) and follow for new fungal facts.
Ever sampled frozen soil before? 🧊
SPUN's Michael Van Nuland and Jinsu Elhance, with local collaborator @mmuscarella.bsky.social explored the coastal tundra plain before traveling to higher elevations in the Arctic foothill tundra finding new flowers, fungi & wildlife with the changing terrain.
SPUN's Michael Van Nuland and Jinsu Elhance, with local collaborator @mmuscarella.bsky.social explored the coastal tundra plain before traveling to higher elevations in the Arctic foothill tundra finding new flowers, fungi & wildlife with the changing terrain.
September 10, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Ever sampled frozen soil before? 🧊
SPUN's Michael Van Nuland and Jinsu Elhance, with local collaborator @mmuscarella.bsky.social explored the coastal tundra plain before traveling to higher elevations in the Arctic foothill tundra finding new flowers, fungi & wildlife with the changing terrain.
SPUN's Michael Van Nuland and Jinsu Elhance, with local collaborator @mmuscarella.bsky.social explored the coastal tundra plain before traveling to higher elevations in the Arctic foothill tundra finding new flowers, fungi & wildlife with the changing terrain.
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
1️⃣ Just one teaspoon of healthy soil can contain 100 meters of fungal hyphae.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF) and follow for new fungal facts.
1️⃣ Just one teaspoon of healthy soil can contain 100 meters of fungal hyphae.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF) and follow for new fungal facts.
September 8, 2025 at 4:07 PM
What Everyone Should Know About Fungi by Age 15
1️⃣ Just one teaspoon of healthy soil can contain 100 meters of fungal hyphae.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF) and follow for new fungal facts.
1️⃣ Just one teaspoon of healthy soil can contain 100 meters of fungal hyphae.
See the top 10 list (buff.ly/77S4PQF) and follow for new fungal facts.
Permafrost has long been a carbon sink, but what happens when the Arctic tundra thaws?
SPUN's Jinsu Elhance and Michael Van Nuland traveled to Alaska, joining collaborator Mario Muscarella, to determine who is living belowground and how they can provide resilience in these ecosystems.
SPUN's Jinsu Elhance and Michael Van Nuland traveled to Alaska, joining collaborator Mario Muscarella, to determine who is living belowground and how they can provide resilience in these ecosystems.
September 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Permafrost has long been a carbon sink, but what happens when the Arctic tundra thaws?
SPUN's Jinsu Elhance and Michael Van Nuland traveled to Alaska, joining collaborator Mario Muscarella, to determine who is living belowground and how they can provide resilience in these ecosystems.
SPUN's Jinsu Elhance and Michael Van Nuland traveled to Alaska, joining collaborator Mario Muscarella, to determine who is living belowground and how they can provide resilience in these ecosystems.
Can a forest be restored without fungi?
Successful forest restoration relies not only on trees, but on their belowground fungal partners and our strategies need to reflect that.
See the diagram providing guidelines to enhancing restoration success and read the full paper here: buff.ly/K5AHz0u
Successful forest restoration relies not only on trees, but on their belowground fungal partners and our strategies need to reflect that.
See the diagram providing guidelines to enhancing restoration success and read the full paper here: buff.ly/K5AHz0u
September 1, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Can a forest be restored without fungi?
Successful forest restoration relies not only on trees, but on their belowground fungal partners and our strategies need to reflect that.
See the diagram providing guidelines to enhancing restoration success and read the full paper here: buff.ly/K5AHz0u
Successful forest restoration relies not only on trees, but on their belowground fungal partners and our strategies need to reflect that.
See the diagram providing guidelines to enhancing restoration success and read the full paper here: buff.ly/K5AHz0u
Why is everyone talking about mycorrhizal fungi?
See illustrator Alex Boersma’s explainer diagram and learn more about mycorrhizal fungi here: www.spun.earth/networks/myc...
See illustrator Alex Boersma’s explainer diagram and learn more about mycorrhizal fungi here: www.spun.earth/networks/myc...
August 25, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Why is everyone talking about mycorrhizal fungi?
See illustrator Alex Boersma’s explainer diagram and learn more about mycorrhizal fungi here: www.spun.earth/networks/myc...
See illustrator Alex Boersma’s explainer diagram and learn more about mycorrhizal fungi here: www.spun.earth/networks/myc...
Are fungi an underdog in the conservation world?
@scifri.bsky.social host Flora Lichtman spoke to @adricorrales.bsky.social & Michael Van Nuland about the importance of fungal networks, underground biodiversity hotspots, and why they need protection.
🎧 buff.ly/su4o9vW
📷 Loreto Oyarte Gálvez
@scifri.bsky.social host Flora Lichtman spoke to @adricorrales.bsky.social & Michael Van Nuland about the importance of fungal networks, underground biodiversity hotspots, and why they need protection.
🎧 buff.ly/su4o9vW
📷 Loreto Oyarte Gálvez
August 11, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Are fungi an underdog in the conservation world?
@scifri.bsky.social host Flora Lichtman spoke to @adricorrales.bsky.social & Michael Van Nuland about the importance of fungal networks, underground biodiversity hotspots, and why they need protection.
🎧 buff.ly/su4o9vW
📷 Loreto Oyarte Gálvez
@scifri.bsky.social host Flora Lichtman spoke to @adricorrales.bsky.social & Michael Van Nuland about the importance of fungal networks, underground biodiversity hotspots, and why they need protection.
🎧 buff.ly/su4o9vW
📷 Loreto Oyarte Gálvez
Our maps predicted the steppes of Kazakhstan as hotspots of fungal biodiversity. No samples had been collected to identify which mycorrhizal fungi exist there.
@bethanfmanley.bsky.social and @thecrobe.bsky.social went to ground truth the prediction and New Humanist wrote about it: buff.ly/oIg3dDo
@bethanfmanley.bsky.social and @thecrobe.bsky.social went to ground truth the prediction and New Humanist wrote about it: buff.ly/oIg3dDo
August 7, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Our maps predicted the steppes of Kazakhstan as hotspots of fungal biodiversity. No samples had been collected to identify which mycorrhizal fungi exist there.
@bethanfmanley.bsky.social and @thecrobe.bsky.social went to ground truth the prediction and New Humanist wrote about it: buff.ly/oIg3dDo
@bethanfmanley.bsky.social and @thecrobe.bsky.social went to ground truth the prediction and New Humanist wrote about it: buff.ly/oIg3dDo
Can plant biodiversity predict underground fungal diversity?
New study published in Nature Communications finds only 8.8% of arbuscular mycorrhizal and 1.5% of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity hotspots overlap with plant hotspots.
Link to paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵
New study published in Nature Communications finds only 8.8% of arbuscular mycorrhizal and 1.5% of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity hotspots overlap with plant hotspots.
Link to paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵
August 1, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Can plant biodiversity predict underground fungal diversity?
New study published in Nature Communications finds only 8.8% of arbuscular mycorrhizal and 1.5% of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity hotspots overlap with plant hotspots.
Link to paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵
New study published in Nature Communications finds only 8.8% of arbuscular mycorrhizal and 1.5% of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity hotspots overlap with plant hotspots.
Link to paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧵