Concurrent common fungal networks formed by different guilds of fungi

Summary

Networks formed by fungi that link among plants have captured the imagination of scientists and the wider public alike (Selosse et al., 2006; Karst et al., 2023). This work on fungal connections among plant roots has almost exclusively focused on mycorrhizal fungi, with most work focusing on arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi; other groups of mycorrhiza, such as ericoid mycorrhiza and orchid mycorrhiza have also been studied. Reasons underpinning this focus on common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) are quite evident: these fungi form well-documented and functionally relevant symbioses with the majority of plants and the fungi grow inside the roots, forming symbiotic exchange interfaces (Smith & Read, 2008). A recently introduced conceptual framework (Rillig et al., 2025) has prop