American evolutionary biologist Dr. Toby Kiers has received the prestigious Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement—frequently dubbed the ‘Nobel Prize for the environment’—for her groundbreaking research illuminating the complex subterranean networks of mycorrhizal fungi. These vast fungal systems, which form symbiotic relationships with plant roots across global ecosystems, play a critical role in climate regulation by sequestering approximately 13 billion tons of carbon annually.
Until recently, these intricate underground systems were largely overlooked and underestimated by the scientific community. Dr. Kiers’ pioneering work has transformed our understanding of these networks from mere plant companions to essential biological infrastructure governing nutrient exchange and carbon cycles. Her research has revealed that these fungi function as sophisticated traders in a biological marketplace, strategically allocating phosphorus and nitrogen to plants in exchange for carbon-rich sugars and fats.
Through the creation of a global Underground Atlas and the development of advanced robotic imaging technology, Dr. Kiers and her colleagues have made these hidden ecosystems visible for the first time. Their mapping efforts have uncovered a concerning reality: most fungal biodiversity hotspots exist outside currently protected ecological zones.
In response to this finding, Dr. Kiers co-founded the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), which recently launched an ‘Underground Advocates’ program to equip scientists with legal tools for fungal conservation. The Tyler Prize award of $250,000 will further support these conservation initiatives aimed at safeguarding these vital carbon storage systems that have been essential to terrestrial life since plants first colonized land.