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Three Decades of Warming Reveal Major Shift in Soil Fungi
A long-running ecological experiment in the mountains of Colorado has revealed a dramatic but largely invisible consequence of climate change: the underground fungal networks that sustain plant life are changing in fundamental ways.
Researchers studying experimental plots warmed for nearly three decades found that rising temperatures are altering the balance of soil fungi and disrupting the symbiotic relationships between plants and the microorganisms that help them survive. The findings highlight how climate change is reshaping ecosystems not only above ground but also deep within the soil — a place scientists often call Earth’s “hidden biological infrastructure.”
A Rare 29-Year Climate Experiment
The research was conducted at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory in Colorado, where scientists have warmed sections of alpine grassland soil using overhead heaters since the mid-1990s. These plots simulate the conditions expected as global temperatures continue to rise.
After 29 years, researchers discovered that warming has fundamentally altered the fungal community beneath the soil surface. Beneficial fungi that form close partnerships with plant roots — known as mycorrhizal fungi — declined significantly, while fungi that break down dead organic matter became more dominant.
This shift may sound subtle, but the implications are profound.
Mycorrhizal fungi help plants absorb water and nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen in exchange for carbon from the plant. These relationships exist in more than 75% of plant species worldwide, making them one of the most important biological partnerships on Earth.
When warming disrupts this partnership, plants may struggle to access nutrients — potentially altering entire ecosystems.
When Plants and Fungi Fall Out of Sync
One of the most striking discoveries was a timing mismatch caused by warmer winters.
In natural ecosystems, plants and their fungal partners usually grow in synchrony. But warming temperatures — especially earlier snowmelt — allow fungi to become active before plants begin growing.
Scientists found that when fungi wake up early, they absorb nutrients from the soil before plants can use them. Without plants to transfer these nutrients to, the nutrients can simply wash away from the soil during rain or snowmelt.
This phenomenon weakens plant growth and reduces the productivity of the ecosystem.
Grasslands Turning Into Shrublands
Above ground, researchers also observed a visible transformation.
Over nearly three decades, the warmed experimental plots shifted from lush alpine grasslands toward drier shrub-dominated landscapes — a change that mirrors what climate models predict for many mountainous ecosystems.
Such changes could ripple across entire food webs. Grasses and wildflowers support grazing animals and pollinators, while shrubs often support very different ecological communities.
If these plant shifts continue across wider landscapes, they could reshape habitats for wildlife, alter water cycles, and change how carbon is stored in soils.
Why Soil Fungi Matter for the Planet
Soil fungi are not just important for plants — they also play a major role in regulating Earth’s climate.
Fungi are central to carbon and nutrient cycling, breaking down organic matter and helping store carbon in soils. Long-term warming experiments in forests have also shown that rising temperatures can reduce fungal biomass and alter microbial communities, potentially affecting how ecosystems store or release carbon.
Because soils hold more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined, even small changes in microbial processes can have large impacts on global climate systems.
The Hidden Risks of Climate Change
The new findings underline an emerging theme in climate science: many of the most important changes are happening out of sight.
Scientists have long studied how warming affects forests, oceans, and ice sheets. But the living systems beneath our feet — microbial networks, fungi, and soil organisms — may be just as sensitive to rising temperatures.
And because these underground systems underpin plant growth, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling, their disruption could trigger cascading ecological consequences.
What Comes Next for Soil Ecosystems
Researchers say more work is needed to understand whether ecosystems can adapt to these changes or if the shifts are permanent.
Future studies will examine how changing snow patterns, earlier spring melts, and warming winters continue to affect the delicate balance between plants and fungi.
The answers could shape how scientists predict ecosystem responses to climate change — and how conservation strategies are designed.
For now, the message is clear: climate change is not only transforming landscapes we can see, but also the intricate underground networks that sustain life on Earth.
References and Sources
- Phys.org — Twenty-nine years of warming linked to soil fungi shift in Colorado plots
https://phys.org/news/2026-03-twenty-years-linked-soil-fungi.html - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — Experimental warming decouples plant–fungal symbiont interactions and leads to a more conservative ecosystem
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2510936123 - The Conversation / Phys.org — Warming winters are disrupting the hidden world of fungi
https://phys.org/news/2026-02-winters-disrupting-hidden-world-fungi.html - Soil Biology & Biochemistry — Long-term soil warming decreases fungal biomass and alters fungal communities
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071726000398 - Weather.com — Warming winters disrupt underground fungal networks
https://weather.com/science/environment/news/2026-02-19-warming-winters-disrupting-hidden-world-of-fungi
