Mushrooms can 'communicate' with each other - study shows

It's about the hidden "communication" of mushrooms underground.

Details

A study has shown that mushrooms are connected to each other through the mycelium, a branched network underground that is actually their main body.

The scientists connected electrodes to 37 mushrooms and monitored how the signals changed when exposed to different factors.

They found that the mushrooms transmit electrical signals and change them depending on the situation.

For example:

• when water was added to a certain area, the signal increased
• when water was added to the whole area, the signal was weakened
• when exposed to urine-related substances, the signals also changed

This shows that the mushroom network responds to environmental changes and can redistribute information.

Why it's important

The results help us better understand how natural ecosystems function.

The scientists point out:

• fungi play a key role in soil metabolism
• their networks can coordinate responses to environmental changes
• this opens up new avenues of research

Such systems may be more complex than previously thought.

Background

Mycelium is the underground network of fungi through which they obtain nutrients and interact with plants.

It has previously been suggested that such networks can transmit signals, but the mechanism has remained poorly understood.

Source

The study is based on an experiment with 37 fungi to which electrodes were connected to monitor signals when exposed to water and chemicals. The work was published in Scientific Reports (2026).