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Human Elements
The hidden worlds in our treetops
Season 2
Episode 10
Korena Mafune’s curiosity in fungal networks stems from trying to understand the hidden world that lies beneath our feet. Mafune’s recent study explores the rich diversity of canopy soils, the soils located on the tops of old growth forests in the Olympic rainforest. These hidden reservoirs act as a nutritional “snack” for trees and give us answers to the resilience of some of our oldest forests.
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