Fungi Do It Too

Mycorrhizal Fungi Resource Coordination via Commitment Pooling

“How do we coordinate our resources together toward the highest well-being?” is the question I seem to be asking a lot after spending more than a week with thought leaders in the collaborative and mycological finance spaces (#cofi #mycofi). It was a pleasure delving into proto-social infrastructures and the intersection of mycological systems and finance.

Similarly, in my study of indigenous practices of resource coordination, such as the Mweria of the Girima in Kenya, I have collaborated with Aude Peronne and the team from Friends of Ecosystem Restoration. Their ecological framing has been invaluable, highlighting the notion of social infrastructure alongside and among ecological economics. Building on all this I will briefly lay out the Commitment Pooling protocol as we see it in social infrastructures and the look at similar functions of mycological systems. Finally I’ll compare these to the ‘Roman’ monetary frameworks we live in.

The Mweria and Commitment Pooling

The Mweria, a form of rotating labor association found in nearly all ancient cultures, involves a foundational protocol I've termed Commitment Pooling. This involves four key functions implemented in various systems:

1. Curation: Different commitments are given reciprocal drawing rights from a common pool of other commitments for assets.

2. Capacity Assessment or Limitations: The amount of curated commitments can be limited to avoid overexposing the pool to risk.

3. Relative Valuation: Each curated commitment is assigned a relative value.

4. Exchange: These commitments can be exchanged and flow, often with some fee associated with pool stewardship.

These functions seem to interact to form larger polycentric networks of resource flow, which seem pre-lingual and evolved. We observe similar social infrastructures in birds and primates. Could these principles extend fully into ecological frames? Let’s try ….

Mycorrhizal Fungi as a Model for Resource Coordination

Mycorrhizal fungi play a crucial role in resource coordination between plant species, performing functions analogous to the commitment pooling protocols. Here’s how their functions align:

1. Curation of Root Systems:

   • Fungal Network Formation: Mycorrhizal fungi form extensive networks of hyphae that interconnect with plant roots, extending their reach for nutrients and water.

   • Selection of Host Plants: The fungi selectively associate with plants that can provide them with carbohydrates, curating a mutualistic community.

2. Capacity Limits:

   • Resource Allocation: Fungi manage the capacity of nutrient transfer based on the needs and contributions of each plant, ensuring optimal distribution.

   • Regulation of Growth: Mycorrhizal networks limit their own expansion to balance resource allocation and prevent over-exploitation.

3. Assigning Relative Value between Nutrient Flows:

   • Nutrient Exchange Rates: Fungi facilitate a relative value system for nutrient exchange, trading nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen for plant carbohydrates.

   • Dynamic Adjustment: They dynamically adjust exchange rates based on soil conditions and plant demands.

4. Actual Exchange Functions:

   • Nutrient and Water Transport: Mycorrhizal fungi transport nutrients and water to plants, acting as a medium of exchange.

   • Symbiotic Fees: In return, fungi receive carbohydrates from the plants, ensuring their survival.

   • Mutual Benefits: Both plants and fungi benefit, creating a balanced and efficient ecosystem.

In essence, mycorrhizal fungi coordinate resource distribution among plants in a way that is strikingly similar to how rotating labor traditions, as described by commitment pooling protocols, manage resources within a community. Both systems optimize resource use, ensure balanced exchanges, and maintain sustainability through curated networks and regulated capacities.

Comparison with Roman Monetary Traditions

Evolved systems like mycorrhizal fungi networks and commitment pooling are fundamentally cooperative, decentralized, adaptive, and focused on mutual benefit. In contrast, the Roman tradition of money and taxation was (and still is) hierarchical, centralized, rigid, and aimed at resource extraction for state control and benefit.

It's not entirely fair to label this as solely a "Roman" tradition, as these monetary and taxation practices have roots in Greek and even earlier civilizations. Just as commitment pooling protocol functions can be analogous to mycorrhizal fungi functions, the Roman monetary tradition finds its analog in certain ecological systems.

Parasitic Threats to Mycorrhizal Fungi

Parasites that prey on mycorrhizal fungi can disrupt beneficial symbiotic relationships. These parasitic organisms include other fungi, bacteria, nematodes, and some plants. For instance, Trichoderma spp., while often beneficial as biological control agents, can parasitize mycorrhizal fungi, invading their hyphae and reducing their activity.

Understanding and managing these threats is crucial for maintaining healthy natural and agricultural systems. By fostering conditions that support beneficial fungi (symbotic proto-social practices) and reduce parasitism, we can enhance the resilience and productivity of these vital networks.

It is simple to compare how both parasitic fungi and monetary traditions operate through centralized control and resource extraction, often at the host's or population's expense. In contrast, mycorrhizal fungi and commitment pooling practices are decentralized, cooperative, and adaptive, promoting mutual benefits, resource optimization, and sustainability. While each system has benefits to specific ecosystems and species, cooperative models like mycorrhizal fungi and commitment pooling enhance overall health, resilience, and sustainability of ecosystems and communities they are part of.