Soil Fungi Lag in Replanted Landscapes Despite Visual Restoration

Restoration projects worldwide are working to reverse soil degradation, which affects up to 75% of global soils. While these efforts often successfully reestablish visually restored and biodiverse landscapes, a critical component of soil health—fungi—is lagging behind in recovery.

Soil fungi play a crucial role in ecosystem health, contributing to nutrient cycling, water retention, and plant growth. However, recent findings indicate that even in visually restored landscapes, fungal communities may not have fully recovered.

This discrepancy between visual restoration and soil fungal recovery has significant implications for the long-term success of restoration projects. While the above-ground vegetation may appear healthy and diverse, the underlying soil ecosystem may still be struggling.

Experts emphasize the importance of monitoring both above-ground and below-ground indicators of ecosystem health. This holistic approach can help ensure that restoration projects are truly successful in the long term.

As restoration efforts continue to address soil degradation, it is crucial to consider the role of soil fungi and other below-ground components in ecosystem health. This will help secure adequate food production, biodiversity, climate regulation, and human well-being.

**Context:** Soil degradation affects up to 75% of the world's soils, posing a threat to food production, biodiversity, and climate regulation. Restoration projects aim to reverse this damage, but the lag in soil fungi recovery highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to ecosystem restoration.