The World beneath our feet
Nominee DuPho. SO Student Award 2023
Underneath our feet lies a complex world of microorganisms that collaborate with trees and plants. Some bacteria are responsible for nitrogen fixation (the conversion of nitrogen from the air into a nitrogen compound that can be taken up by plants). And certain fungi can exchange nutrients symbiotically through plant and tree roots. Additionally, trees can feed and warn each other for parasites through fungal networks.
For this photographer, these discoveries sparked curiosity about the underground invisible ecosystem of microorganisms. What does it look like? To make this hidden world visible, she cultured the bacteria and fungi that live around plant roots. For this project, she selected plants and trees from her backyard in Amsterdam. With her knowledge as a biologist and advice from mycologist Jos Houbraken (Westerdijk Institute, Utrecht), a series of experiments were conducted. Each time, it was a surprise to see the shapes and patterns of microorganisms that emerged in the Petri dishes.
When plants die, they are decomposed by soil bacteria that convert them into nutrients. During this process, the bacteria sometimes release the greenhouse gas methane (natural gas). Last winter, this methane created spectacular patterns and textures under the ice of a shallow lake in the Netherlands.
With her images, van der Pouw Kraan hopes to raise awareness for the importance of the underground ecosystem. Although much is still unknown, it is clear that we depend on it and can learn a lot from it, especially for our food supply and for a healthy biodiverse above-ground world.
Exhibition Amsterdam Photo Academy’s graduate students ’23
These images are being exhibited at Emergo
Loods 6, KNSM laan 289, Amsterdam
May 25 – 28, 2023
www.expo-emergo.nl
More about the Dutch Photography Award: dupho.nl