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 Fungi are actually one of the main things that create the Earth. They have been there since the beginning, as one of the first organisms to ever live on land.  There have been discoveries, that they probably existed before trees did. Scientists have found a fossil of a fungi called Prototaxites. They were around more than 300 million years ago and could grow up to 8 meters high and about 1 metre wide. Most people were sceptical about the theory that they’re not trees or other organisms, but it has been proven they’re closest to mushrooms. Apart from that, fungi play a big role in forest life, not only through communicating with other plants(their mycelium networks), but also in decomposing organic matter. They also help in cleaning the oceans, by taking care of various marine organisms, which are already dead, or transporting nutrients and oxygen through the water.

 Scientists have discovered about 80 species of mushrooms that can glow in the dark. They can be found in temperate or tropical climates, for example in Africa or Asia. These mushrooms, thanks to a chemical reaction, can produce a green light. This process is called bioluminescence. The fungi contain a substance called luciferin, which can be found in various species of plants or animals(like jellyfish) that also have the ability to glow in the dark.  Although we know about the whole process of how it works, scientists are not sure about why it really happens and whether it is beneficial to the fungi. One of their theories as to why this might happen, is that fungi use light to attract different insects. They can help mushrooms to grow in quantity, as they will carry their spores all around. It could be most helpful for fungi that are more hidden, as the wind can’t really help them with this.

 Some types of fungi have been found to be able to break down plastic. In 2011, students from the Yale university have found different types of fungi, that are capable of digesting a certain type of plastic even without oxygen. During the research, it has been discovered that it takes a few weeks to get rid of the plastic. This is a great discovery, as we know, that plastic can take hundreds of years to fully decompose. Another great thing about it, is that it can survive in different conditions, which can be especially helpful in certain landforms, like the ocean. Some of the fungi, after decomposing plastic parts, could still be eaten after the whole process. Using fungi to fight plastic waste can be an easier, cheaper alternative that we might use in the future, and some reports even say it can happen in  about 5 to 10 years.

  Trees and other plants, just like us humans, are able to communicate. They have their own network, which is placed under the ground. It is entirely made from fungi and is called a mycelium. The fungi forms a branch-like structure, which is beneficial to plants in many ways. Thanks to the mycelium, plants are able to exchange substances that they need for their survival, like sugar or carbon. It turns out, that older, bigger trees often give smaller plants a variety of nutrients, which travel through the fungi network. Scientists have actually tested, whether the theory of communication between plants is true. One of the experiments consisted of tagging different parts of the mycelium with a fluorescent substance. After some time, they checked it under a microscope and it turned out that the substance has travelled into many other parts of the fungi and plants. Thanks to fungi, plants and seedlings can grow better and survive.