American evolutionary biologist Toby Kiers has been awarded the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement for her groundbreaking research on mycorrhizal fungal networks, which act as vital underground trading systems for nutrient exchange with plant roots and play a critical role in climate regulation by drawing down 13.12 billion tons of carbon annually. Kiers' work, including the creation of a global Underground Atlas and landmark studies published in Science and Nature, has illuminated the previously underestimated importance of these vast fungal webs, revealing their complex trading behaviors and global distribution. Her research highlights that most fungal biodiversity hotspots are outside protected areas, prompting her to co-found the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN) to advocate for their conservation.