Role of Fungi in Climate Change Abatement Through Carbon Sequestration

Abstract

Global warming is an important phenomenon responsible for global climate change. The rise in mean air temperature is attributed to the enhanced concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons are the abundant greenhouses gases in the atmosphere. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas accounting for 76% of the total greenhouse effect. Both human activities and natural phenomena are responsible for the rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Soil respiration and soil carbon sequestration are considered as the source and sink, respectively, for CO2 gas. The net balance of respiration and sequestration in the soil are responsible for carbon concentration dynamics in the atmosphere. Higher CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is a major culprit behind global threat known as global warming. The CO2 concentration in the atmosphere may be reduced by soil carbon sequestration. Microorganisms including soil fungi enhance the rate of soil carbon sequestration through carbon assimilation from the atmosphere. In soil, fungi assimilate carbon in its hyphae. The amount and rate of carbon sequestration with the help of soil fungi are also affected by age and resilience of hyphae. The higher rate of carbon sequestration in soil may help in mitigating climate change.