Scienceenvironment
Replanted landscapes can look restored while soil fungi lag behind
With up to 75% of the world's soils degraded, global restoration projects strive to reestablish functional and biodiverse environments. These initiatives are essential for securing food production, maintaining biodiversity, regulating the climate, and ensuring human well-being. However, a critical discrepancy often emerges between surface appearances and subterranean reality. While replanted landscapes may visually mimic fully recovered ecosystems, essential underground communities, particularly soil fungi, frequently lag significantly behind in their recovery.