What soil fungi have taught me about diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality

Despite the importance soil fungi have in our ecosystems, they are often 1) left out of soil microbiome studies, 2) assumed to be only relevant for plant health, and 3) not thought of as soil microbes. But through my research on free-living soil fungi, I have learned that fungi are one of the most important and overlooked group of microbes in soil microbial ecology; they are diverse and have complex and intersectional identities. This talk explores diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality in Ecology through the lens of the undergrounds of soil microbial ecology: fungi.