MELBOURNE, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Scientists in Australia have discovered that tree bark hosts trillions of microbes that help remove greenhouse and toxic gases from the atmosphere.
This reveals a hidden climate benefit beyond carbon dioxide absorption, a news release from Australia's Monash University said on Friday.
The five-year study, published in Science, found these bark-dwelling microbes consume methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and other volatile compounds released by the trees themselves, it said.
"Each tree hosts trillions of microbial cells on its bark, yet their existence and roles have been overlooked for many decades until now," said Bob Leung at Monash University's Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI), the study's co-first author.
Co-author Luke Jeffrey at Australia's Southern Cross University said the global bark surface area is comparable to "all seven continents combined," with microbial activity potentially removing millions of tonnes of climate-active gases annually.
The researchers sampled trees across eastern Australia, using genomic and biogeochemical techniques to identify how microbes feed on these gases.
Trees hosting the most active gas-consuming microbes could be prioritized for reforestation and urban greening, said co-author, BDI Professor Chris Greening.
These microbes not only combat climate-active gases, but also help scrub toxic pollutants like carbon monoxide, improving air quality, said Greening. ■
