Why fungi are the true, hidden masters of the natural world
In short: Fungi outnumber plants six to one and serve as the essential foundation for all plant life on Earth. This video explores the Fungarium at Kew Gardens, which houses the world's most extensive collection of dried fungal specimens.
While often overlooked, fungi are vital to global ecosystems. Every plant on Earth relies on them for survival. The scale of these organisms is staggering; the largest known organism on the planet is a single mushroom located in an Oregon forest, which spans hundreds of acres and has existed for over 1,000 years.
The Fungarium at Kew Gardens preserves this biological diversity by maintaining a collection of approximately 1.25 million dried specimens. This archive serves as a critical resource for understanding the complex, invisible networks that sustain our forests and plant life.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Beyond the Gardens: The Fungarium at Kew Gardens
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