Harnessing forest fungal microbiomes to address the climate crisis.
Forests are an essential part of Earth’s carbon cycle.
Forests don’t just grow—they breathe. Acting as the lungs of our planet, they pull excess carbon from the atmosphere, helping to regulate Earth’s climate. But today, forests are struggling to keep up. The team at Funga asks, "What if those lungs could take a deeper breath?”
Soils are an essential part of healthy forest ecosystems.
Healthy soils contain thousands of species of tiny organisms, including fungi, that collectively make up the soil microbiome. Many of these fungi form a partnership with tree roots, helping the trees access growth-promoting resources more effectively and better withstand environmental stress.
When those soils are degraded, the whole forest suffers.
Traditional land management practices have been very bad for soil health, significantly reducing the fungal populations that help trees flourish. Fewer fungal partners eventually limit the forest’s rate of growth, which also limits its ability to store carbon.
We’re restoring forest soils to create healthier ecosystems, faster growth, and additional carbon capture.
We identify and “put back” the native, growth-promoting fungal communities that forests have been missing. This allows forests to thrive, growing to their full potential and maximizing their carbon storage. We are using biodiversity restoration as a climate solution, further empowering one of the most effective carbon-removing mechanisms we know of: Earth’s forests.
