Fungal hyphae spreading through the soil from mycorrhizae can connect with hyphae associated with other plants of the same type.
Plants that appear to live separately above ground can therefore be connected underground through vast networks of fungal hyphae.
For example, energy-rich nutrients produced through photosynthesis by a large tree can flow into these networks and be used by other plants.
This is one reason why orchids, which have limited photosynthetic ability, and plants such as Monotropastrum that do not photosynthesize can grow in forests: they can obtain energy and nutrients produced through photosynthesis by other plants via these fungal networks.
Underground fungal networks help sustain the forests we see above ground.
