Fungi — or a lack thereof — could partly explain why trees are failing to adapt to climate change. A majority of tree species depend on underground symbiotic fungi, called ectomycorrhizal fungi, for the nutrients and water they need to survive. Like other organisms, ectomycorrhizal fungi may be struggling to adapt to climate change, especially heat and drought. But there’s still a lot that scientists don’t know about how these critical fungi are responding to climate change, or how that affects trees’ ability to survive in different regions… Maps revealed that 35 percent of all tree-fungi pairings face shrinking areas where both trees and fungi will be able to survive. Without the right fungi in tow, trees won’t be able to move north along with their climate.