When out on a woodland walk, taking in my surroundings, I glanced up into the canopy of a beautiful beech tree after hearing the call of one of the many red squirrels that live there.
Sitting just a few feet above my head was a beautiful mushroom. This particular mushroom took my attention because I thought how unusual it was to look directly underneath it. We are much more used to seeing them on the ground where they are often taken for granted. It was illuminated by the daylight from above, and I marvelled at the gills underneath.
My mind was taken off to the relationship between trees and fungi known as symbiosis. In its literal form symbiosis means ‘living together’. There are countless examples of the mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship in the natural world, from trees and their associated fungi to remora fish and sharks.
With trees and fungi, the hyphae (long branch-like structures that give fungi stability and together form a network called mycelium) break down nutrients in the soil for the tree to uptake into its roots. In return the fungi receive a steady supply of sugars and other key nutrients from the parent tree.
These complex mycorrhizal networks can extend great distances. They can link up a whole number of trees and even entire woodlands underground. And they are vital to the health of these natural spaces. These underground systems have been studied for many years, but it’s only recently that scientists have started to uncover how trees can use the mycorrhizal network to ‘communicate’ with other trees around them.
According to Science Focus, mycorrhizal networks, also known as the ‘Wood Wide Web’, play a crucial role in forest ecosystems. These underground fungal connections are like the fibre optic cables of our forests. And, using carbon tracing technology, scientists point to the transfer of nutrients from tree to tree.
Remora fish, (often referred to as sucker fish for their ability to stick to other larger species,) are those that swim directly underneath or very close to many apex predator shark species. They have a symbiotic relationship akin to that of trees and fungi.
The smaller remora fish benefits from the relationship in several ways. By being so close to one of our oceans’ top predators, they are protected from other predators. They often receive cast-offs of the shark’s food to keep them nourished. And swimming in the slipstream allows them to cover much larger distances than they would be able to undertake themselves, all the while saving energy as they do so.
For the shark, the remora is an in-house cleaning service. They clear the shark’s skin from dead cells and parasites boosting the shark’s overall health.
These symbiotic relationships should act as an inspiration for the human communities that live in and around these natural spaces. With COP29 front and centre of the environmental focus recently, what better time to highlight the need for us as a collective community to come together and celebrate our natural environment by putting it firmly on the map.
Aside from the obvious factors such as fresh air, clean water and plentiful food supplies, nature controls our complex weather systems, and gives us the space to relax. Nature gives us a space to boost our physical and mental wellbeing. It gives us the opportunity to connect with those around us, free from the confines of the four walls of our homes.
As symbiotic relationships go, our relationship with the natural world is very one-sided to put it mildly. We gain so much from our side of the bargain with nature, and in some cases have taken more than we should. Now is our time to put this imbalance right before it is too late.
According to BBC News 2024 was the hottest year on record, and global average temperatures were 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The 2023/2024 season saw the UK welcome 12 named storm events. The evidence is building, and if we want to be able to enjoy our natural world for the foreseeable, we must act.
Next time: what can we all do to make the change?