{"id":33038,"date":"2026-01-09T18:27:18","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T18:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=33038"},"modified":"2026-01-12T20:54:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T20:54:35","slug":"hidden-bark-microbes-turn-forests-into-powerful-air-scrubbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/hidden-bark-microbes-turn-forests-into-powerful-air-scrubbers\/","title":{"rendered":"Hidden Bark Microbes Turn Forests Into Powerful Air Scrubbers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Australian researchers have uncovered a vast, invisible ecosystem living in tree bark that helps clean the air of climate-warming and toxic gases. The discovery could reshape how cities and countries plan tree planting for both climate and health.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0dfbf163 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px;\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Australian scientists have uncovered a hidden climate ally living just beneath the surface of the world\u2019s forests: trillions of microbes packed into the bark of every tree, quietly scrubbing the air of harmful gases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The discovery, <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.adu2182\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the journal Science, suggests that trees do far more for the planet than simply absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Their bark-dwelling microbes also remove other powerful climate-warming and toxic gases from the atmosphere, potentially boosting the climate benefits of forests and urban trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers led by Monash University\u2019s Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Southern Cross University spent five years sampling trees across eastern Australia, from freshwater wetlands and coastal heath to mangroves and upland forests. They then used advanced genomic and biogeochemical tools to identify the microbes living in bark and measure what they are doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They found that the bark of every tree is teeming with microscopic life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEach tree hosts trillions of microbial cells on its bark,\u201d co-first author Bob Leung, a research fellow in the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said in a news release.  \u201cYet their existence and roles have been overlooked for many decades until now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These microbes are not just passive passengers. The team showed that many of them are highly specialized for life on trees and are actively feeding on gases that affect Earth\u2019s climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRemarkably, most of these microbes are tree-adapted specialists that feed on climate-active gases,\u201d Leung added. \u201cThey consume methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and even volatile compounds released by the trees themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Methane and hydrogen are important climate-active gases, while carbon monoxide is both climate-active and a toxic air pollutant. By using these gases as food, bark microbes effectively turn tree trunks and branches into living filters that clean the surrounding air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The scale of this hidden process is enormous. Co-first author Luke Jeffrey, a research fellow at Southern Cross University, noted that when you add up all the bark on all the trees on Earth, the surface area is staggering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCounting all trees on Earth, the total global surface area of bark covers an area roughly the same as all seven continents combined,\u201d he said in the news release. \u201cThis microbial activity across this massive \u2018bark continent\u2019 is potentially removing millions of tonnes of climate-active gases every year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those gases can come from the atmosphere or from inside the tree itself. As they are consumed by microbes in the bark, the air around forests is effectively being cleansed, adding a new layer to the climate and health benefits of trees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The team studied a range of Australian species, including paperbark, swamp box, swamp oak, banksia, golden wattle, mangrove, grey ironbark and grey gum. Across these diverse forests, the researchers found rich and varied microbial communities, suggesting that different tree species host different microbial partners with different abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That variation could become a powerful tool for climate planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Chris Greening, a professor in the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute who co-led the study with Damien Maher, a professor at Southern Cross University, sees major potential in using this new knowledge for climate action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe now know different trees host different microbes,\u201d Greening added. \u201cIf we can identify the trees with the most active gas-consuming microbes, they could become priority targets for reforestation and urban greening projects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That would allow planners to design forests and green spaces not only for shade, biodiversity and carbon storage, but also for their ability to clean the air of multiple pollutants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Greening added that the discovery could benefit both climate and human health. Carbon monoxide, for example, is a dangerous pollutant produced by vehicles, fires and some industrial processes. Microbes that remove it from the air could help reduce exposure in and around forested and urban green areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For public health and environmental policy, the findings open up a new dimension. Trees have long been promoted as a natural solution to climate change because they lock away carbon dioxide in their wood and leaves. This research suggests that their bark microbiomes add another, previously uncounted service: removing other gases that warm the planet or harm human lungs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The work also highlights how much remains unknown about the living networks that support Earth\u2019s climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> \u201cThis research is really the tip of the iceberg in terms of expanding our understanding of how trees and microbes interact,\u201d added Maher. \u201cThe diversity of microbes that we found living in the bark of these trees suggests that we may need to rethink how trees and forests control Earth\u2019s climate now and into the future\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Future studies will likely explore which tree\u2013microbe partnerships are most effective, how these communities respond to pollution and climate stress, and how land managers might protect or enhance them. For students and young scientists, the findings underscore that even familiar landscapes still hold big surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From a distance, a forest may look like a collection of trunks, branches and leaves. Up close, this research shows that every tree is also a skyscraper for microscopic life, with bark surfaces stretching across a \u201cbark continent\u201d that rivals all seven continents combined. As the world searches for scalable, nature-based climate solutions, those tiny residents of tree bark may prove to be some of the planet\u2019s most important, and previously invisible, helpers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:12px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.monash.edu\/discovery-institute\/news-and-events\/news\/2026-articles\/scientists-find-microbes-enhance-the-benefits-of-trees-by-removing-greenhouse-gases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Monash University<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australian researchers have uncovered a vast, invisible ecosystem living in tree bark that helps clean the air of climate-warming and toxic gases. The discovery could reshape how cities and countries plan tree planting for both climate and health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[527,532],"class_list":["post-33038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-climate-and-environment","tag-monash-university","tag-southern-cross-university"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Australian researchers have uncovered a vast, invisible ecosystem living in tree bark that helps clean the air of climate-warming and toxic gases. The discovery could reshape how cities and countries plan tree planting for both climate and health.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33038"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33066,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33038\/revisions\/33066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}