The intelligence of mycelium

We discussed the parts of the fungus in the previous blog post, and among them, we want to delve deeper into the mycelium, that structure that resembles plant roots and can spread over vast areas before our eyes, allowing for greater life between species.

The mycelium is the fungus's link to the earth and is part of a network of connections similar to those of the brain, but this network is underground, and it shares with trees and other plants beneath our feet. It is known as the "Wood Wide Web" in English, which in English would be something like the "wooden internet." It is an interaction between the Fungi and Plant Kingdoms in which both beings share nutrients, information, and water. As we mentioned at the beginning, the mycelium resembles plant roots, but the mycelium can spread over large areas of soil, even covering kilometers, as is the case of a famous mushroom from Oregon, USA, Armillaria ostoyae ("Honey Mushroom" or "Oregon Mushroom), which is estimated to be more than 2,000 years old and covers around 965 hectares.

Mycelium is composed of hyphae, which are filaments that can penetrate the soil, wood, and organic matter. It can be a fairly dense or finer network, and incredibly, they can join with other mycelial networks, although they can also compete to acquire the nutrients they need.

Why do they share information with beings in the Plant Kingdom? For example, if one of these beings lacks water, it is encouraged to receive it from a nearby source; that is, it is facilitated to obtain it when the resource is scarce, as well as nutrients. It is a symbiotic relationship, specifically called mycorrhiza when referring to a fungus-plant, which means that these beings of different species associate and both receive common benefits. This symbiotic relationship is what enables the functions of the mycelium. There are two types of mycorrhiza: ectomycorrhiza and endomycorrhiza. The former primarily forms in trees, commonly pines and oaks, where the fungus does not penetrate the tree roots. The latter, the most common, is characterized by the fungus impregnating the plant roots, forming structures called arbuscules and vesicles.

Mycelium is also intelligent because it has the ability to repair itself when damaged; in other words, it exhibits self-healing capabilities, which allows the fungus to adapt to the environment and survive adverse environmental conditions. Among other amazing characteristics of mycelium, it degrades organic matter and utilizes the nutrients from this decomposition; in other words, it recycles that matter. This is related to the size and quality of the mycelium; a large, well-developed mycelium allows for greater nutrient availability, improves soil composition, and reduces environmental stress, thus promoting plant health as well. Another ability of mycelium is to detect changes in the environment and respond to them. For example, if it detects a chemical compound in the soil, it can direct growth toward it if it provides something beneficial, or the opposite if it is harmful.

Among the new developments surrounding mycelium is its ongoing research into applications in biotechnology and medicine, and even more importantly, for the bioremediation of contaminated soils, a current environmental problem. For this reason, and as we mentioned earlier, mycelium performs vital functions for life, occurring out of our sight but having a very beneficial impact on nature.