Mycorrhizae: Implications for Environmental Remediation and Resource Conservation

Fungi are common in aquatic and terrestrial environments, absorb the nutrients they need, and occur as either free-living or in symbiotic forms. In terrestrial environments, fungi are of fundamental importance as decomposers, plant pathogens, symbionts, and in biogeochemical cycles. In soils, fungi can comprise the largest pool of biomass. To date, there are an estimated 1.5 million species of fungi on the planet, of which fewer than 80,000 have been identified.