What would happen if all fungi suddenly disappeared from Earth?

Question

Would there even be any life? +{}+ <3

Answer 1

It would not take long for the world as we know it to fall apart.

Fungi not only play a massive role in decay, meaning we&#039;re not up to our ears in roadkill, they also function in symbiotic (benficial to both) relationships.  The most notable of these are mycorrhizae, the relationship between fungi and the roots of a huge number of plants.  Because fungi can take up nutrients and food from the soil so quickly, plants employ them to do so for their benefit.  

If all of these plants were unable to survive, imagine what would happen.  Herbivores would die off, then carnivores, then us. Eek!

Answer 2

The whole ecological system would be disrupted and life would cease to exist eventually.  What an interesting premise for a science fiction novel!

Answer 3

No there would not.

Answer 4

I know the rain forest depends on fungi

Answer 5

Eventually, maybe not. I think there would be a problem with a lack of decay first. Fungi either decay dead organic matter, or are symbionts, which obtain carbon from living organisms. Fungi, called saprotrophs, decompose plant matter, where most of the carbon in terrestrial ecosystems is sequestered. Fungal respiration returns much of this carbon to the atmosphere as CO2. Plants in turn take the CO2 and sunshine to create carbohydrates. Then ectomycorrhizae, the fungus symbiotic with the roots of trees, exchange nutrients between the soil and plants.

    Trees in temperate forests are dependent on the ectomycorrhizae that accumulate minerals from the decomposing litter, before the minerals pass into the deeper layers of the soil where they would be unavailable to the roots. In return the fungus obtains simple carbohydrates that are produced by the plant specifically for the fungus. The trees exchange nutrients they are unable to collect for them selves for carbohydrates the fungus cannot make for themselves from forest litter.

    With no fungal symbionts the trees would die in the temperate forests but would not decay without the saprotrophic fungi. Aquatic and terrestrial fungi are critical to the transfer of litter bound carbon and other nutrients to higher trophic levels like trees. The fungus digests the tough plant structures, like lignin and cellulose, creating a palatable nitrogen rich food for their carbon and energy exchanges with trees. Therefore fungi are critical to the cycling of nitrogen and carbon in our ecosystem.