Soil & nature cycles · Mycorrhiza
When roots and fungi work together
Flauschi explains a partnership hidden beneath their feet.
The short answer
Many plant roots live together with fine fungal threads. The fungus can supply the plant with water and dissolved nutrients. The green plant uses light to make sugar and shares some with the fungus. This partnership is called mycorrhiza, meaning fungus-root.
Not every fungus lives this way.
See the connection
Simplified drawings, not to scale. Not a guide for identifying species.
An imagined Wusel scene
Puschel and Flauschi investigate
Puschel looks at a tree and a mushroom. Puschel“Are they working together?” Flauschi answers carefully. Flauschi“Many plants have fungal partners, but we cannot tell just by looking whether this mushroom is one.”
They study a simplified drawing of hidden roots and threads. Puschel understands that a partner need not be large or obvious.
Puschel“Helping together can happen out of sight,” he says. Flauschi smiles. They leave the woodland’s hidden work undisturbed.
Little Wusel quiz
What do many plants give their fungal partners?
Show answer
Energy-rich substances such as sugars; the fungal threads help with water and nutrient absorption.
Word help
- mycorrhiza
- A partnership between particular fungi and plant roots. The partners can exchange water, nutrients and energy-rich substances.
- nutrient
- A substance a living thing needs to grow and live.
- mineral
- Here, a mineral nutrient such as potassium. Plants usually absorb these nutrients dissolved in water; they are not ready-made sugar.
Explore in more detail
Here you will find longer explanations and further details. You can explore them together.
Understand step by step
How it works – simply explained
Two organisms meet
Certain fungal threads grow closely around or within roots: mycorrhiza. It is not usually visible as a mushroom cap.
The fungus extends reach
Fine threads access soil water and nutrients that can benefit the plant.
The plant provides substances
A green plant makes sugars using light and supplies energy-rich substances to the fungus. Partners contribute differently; not every fungus forms this partnership.
Two partners exchange different things
Fine fungal threads explore soil spaces differently from roots. They can supply water and mineral nutrients to the plant, which produces energy-rich substances using light and shares some with the fungus. This is exchange, not fungi producing sunlight or all plants having identical partners. We need not dig up real roots to understand this exchange.
References for this explanation: [1]
The key points again
Discover
Many plant roots live in partnership with particular soil fungi. This is called mycorrhiza.
Understand
Fine fungal threads help absorb water and nutrients. The plant supplies energy-rich substances such as sugars.
Connections
Not all fungi are these partners. Other fungi decompose dead material or harm living plants.