Minimum Diversity Thresholds

Research into grassland ecologies has shown that a minimum threshold in diversity must be met in order for collaboration and efficient resource use to occur between plants, otherwise competition will occur. The benefits of diversity begin to take effect as the number of species planted together increases, and also given that there are at least 4 different functional groups (groups of plant species). This triggered a change in the behaviour of the fungal network towards mutualism rather than competition or parasitism. A 2006 study also showed that 8 different radish species grown separately in monocultures during a drought year, all failed or grew poorly, while in plots where these species were grown together, as a polyculture, they were able to grow well despite the harsh environmental conditions. The results have been replicated with other plant species across the world and indicate that resources begin to be used much more efficiently in polycultures despite there being “more mouths to feed”. Moreover, functional group richness (main type) and species richness (sub-type) were found to each independently contribute to plant biomass and carbon sequestration.

Related Notes: The Mutualism Advantage, Networked Care

The following set of ecological principles serve to guide the design and implementation of the Mycelium Fund. This experimental granting fund explores the possibilities of a self-distributing financing system and is informed by mechanisms of resource valuation and distribution found in ecological communities, particularly those deep beneath the ground.