AWARD YEAR
2023
CATEGORY
Community
GOALS
Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
KEYWORDS
fungi, mycelium, forests
COUNTRY
United Kingdom
DESIGNED BY
Rhizocore Technologies
WEBSITE
https://www.rhizocore.com
Rhizocore Technologies
Restoring the underground networks of forests
How does it work?
Rhizocore Technologies produces locally-adapted mycorrhizal fungi to enhance tree planting success. By working with native fungi, we offer a sustainable solution to accelerate woodland regeneration, improve forest productivity, and increase natural capital benefits.
Why is it needed?
Almost all forest trees are infused with networks of symbiotic fungi that support them by supplying essential nutrients through their roots. These fungi provide their host trees with nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, as well as water and trace minerals in exchange for sugars.
These fungi quickly die whenever their host trees are missing, such as in clear-felled or ex-agricultural sites that have little connectivity to other nearby woodlands. When we try to replant these areas, trees have a harder time establishing, leading to slower growth rates, higher mortality, and lost potential for carbon sequestration.
How does it improve life?
We envision a world in which people reforest what has been lost - planting the right trees in the right place with the right symbiotic fungal partners. We believe that growing symbiotic fungi is just as important as growing trees, and is our inroad into a future that is more in alignment with the interconnected networks of nature.