Mycorrhizal fungi are particular soil fungi that form symbioses with plant roots and help the plant to access water and soil nutrients. In return, the plant supplies the fungi with sugar for energy. A particular structure is formed – a “mycorrhiza”, literally meaning “fungus-root”. Almost all plants do this, and about half of the mushrooms you see in the forest are the fruiting bodies of the fungi. I have done a lot of work on mycorrhizae over the years, including looking at their role in northward tree migration (in Labrador) under climate change. The Atlantic Ecosystems Initiative Grant work falls under this axis – looking at differences in mycorrhizal fungi between “upland” (normal) forests and forested wetlands.