This Land Was Left for Dead, Until Scientists Dropped These Underground Creatures on It, Now It’s Covered with 40,000 Plants
The Daily Galaxy • • science
Key Points:
- In 1983, researchers introduced pocket gophers to barren volcanic soil near Mount St. Helens to stimulate recovery by bringing buried microorganisms to the surface, following the 1980 eruption that left the area largely sterile.
- The gophers' burrowing activity unexpectedly facilitated the growth of over 40,000 plants within six years, while untreated nearby areas remained mostly barren, highlighting the significant impact of these small creatures.
- The underground organisms brought up by the gophers included beneficial bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi, which form symbiotic relationships with plant roots, aiding nutrient and water absorption crucial for plant survival in volcanic soil.
- Decades later, the microbial communities established by this experiment remain active, continuing to support plant
