Melbourne. The importance of the giant alder trees that stand in Chile’s temperate rainforest is not limited to what is visible above them, but supports a vast biological network beneath the ground. These hundreds of years old Alers trees have faced storms, fires and changing weather for thousands of years. Recently, scientists have found that hundreds of fungus species are found in the soil around them, which perform very important functions for the forest. These fungi play an important role in delivering water and nutrients to plants, storing carbon in the soil, and protecting the entire forest from environmental stress.
According to research, if a thousand year old tree is cut, not only one tree is lost, but the entire underground ecosystem that has developed over thousands of years is also destroyed. Melbourne University researcher Camille Truong explains that not every tree is the same. The soil of large and ancient trees contains twice the fungal diversity as that of smaller plants. When a huge tree disappears, along with it the centuries-old network that maintains the fertility of the soil and the strength of the forest also disappears. According to SPUN’s Adriana Corrales, this diversity reflects the ‘resilience’ or strength of the forest, which helps it recover from natural disasters. The search began in 2022 in Chile’s Alers Costero National Park.
The researchers took soil samples under 31 different Alers trees, including small trees and a giant tree called ‘Alers Abuelo’. The trunk of this tree is more than 14.8 feet wide. Scientists used DNA technology to identify fungal species hidden in the soil. The analysis revealed that the largest tree had more than 300 fungal species that were not found on any other tree. This makes it clear that old trees act like an umbrella for the biodiversity of the soil. The Alers species is one of the second longest lived trees in the world. They have been hunted for centuries for their strong wood. Activities like clearing forests for farming and road construction are continuously putting pressure on them. The proposed roads and threats from introduced species could cause serious damage to the forest and its underground network. New research warns that the danger is not just from the loss of trees, but also from losing hidden biological treasures that have the power to regenerate forests.
The study shows that forests thousands of years old can never be completely replaced by newly planted trees. Every large and ancient tree is home to hundreds of unique fungal species, and saving it is equivalent to preserving the entire underground ecosystem. This discovery has proved that old trees are not just vegetation but the foundation of the entire forest. Their conservation is essential not only to maintain environmental balance but also to protect them from natural disasters and maintain the strength of the forest.