When you see a mushroom in a forest, you are only seeing a small part of it. The real fungus is usually underground. It is called mycelium.
When you see a mushroom growing in a forest, it may look like a small plant. In fact, the mushroom is only a tiny part of a much larger organism hidden underground.
Beneath the soil is a network called mycelium. It is made up of millions of tiny threads that spread through the ground, around tree roots and through dead wood. Scientists often compare this network to the internet because it creates an interconnected system that links many plants together.
One of the largest known fungal networks is in Oregon, USA. It covers about 9 square kilometres, making it one of the biggest living organisms on Earth. Scientists believe it is at least 2,000 years old.
Although mushrooms cannot speak like humans, they can communicate in their own way.
Many trees and plants have a symbiotic relationship with fungi. The fungi help the plants absorb water and minerals from the soil. In return, the plants give the fungi sugars that they produce during photosynthesis.
This partnership benefits both sides.
Scientists have discovered that one mycelium network can connect many different plants at the same time. Instead of living completely alone, trees and plants may be linked through the same underground system.
The mycelium can act as a conduit, carrying nutrients through the soil. Larger trees may sometimes send carbon to young plants that are growing in the shade and cannot make enough food for themselves.
Researchers have also found evidence that plants connected by fungi may warn each other about insects.
When one plant is attacked, nearby plants sometimes begin producing chemicals to protect themselves before the insects arrive. Scientists believe signals may travel through the fungal network, although they are still studying exactly how this happens.
This does not mean that mushrooms have conversations.
Instead, fungi use chemical substances and tiny electrical signals that move through the mycelium. These signals help the network respond to changes in its environment.
Fungi also play an important role in keeping forests healthy.
They break down dead plants and animals, returning valuable nutrients to the soil. Without fungi, forests would fill with dead material, and many plants would struggle to grow.
The underground network also helps improve the soil by keeping it healthy and supporting many other living things.
Because of this, fungi increase the resilience of forests, helping them recover from difficult conditions such as storms, disease or dry weather.
Scientists estimate that about 90% of land plants have a partnership with fungi during their lives. This shows how important these underground networks are for nature.
People are also finding new uses for mycelium.
It can be used to make environmentally friendly packaging, building materials and even alternatives to leather. Since mycelium grows naturally, it could help reduce waste and pollution.
Fungi have also helped medicine. The discovery of penicillin, one of the world's first antibiotics, came from a fungus and has saved millions of lives.
Scientists are still learning about these amazing organisms.
Every new discovery shows that mushrooms are much more than the small shapes we see above the ground. Hidden below our feet is a huge living network that connects plants, recycles nutrients and helps forests survive.
The next time you walk through the woods after rain, remember that the mushroom you see is only the visible part of an extraordinary underground world.
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