We've long understood that trees are the lungs of our planet, but new Australian research reveals they function as sophisticated air purifiers in a way we never imagined. A landmark study has uncovered a hidden world within tree bark, teeming with microscopic life that actively scrubs greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
The Microscopic Clean-Up Crew in Our Backyards
Over the past five years, scientists from Southern Cross and Monash universities joined forces to investigate the bark of eight different Australian tree species. The species were selected from both woodland and wetland environments. What they found was astonishing: a single square metre of bark is home to more than 6 trillion microbial cells.
These aren't passive inhabitants. Using advanced metagenomic sequencing technology, which reads the DNA of all organisms in a sample at once, the team decoded the activities of these tiny residents. They discovered the microbes actively "eat" atmospheric gases, including hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane—a gas responsible for roughly one-third of human-caused global warming.
A Natural Filter for Urban Air Quality
The standout finding was the consistent consumption of hydrogen by microbes across all tree species studied, including those in wetlands. The research also identified abundant microbial enzymes that remove carbon monoxide. This points to a powerful, natural filtration system operating right under our noses.
With an estimated 3 trillion trees on Earth, the cumulative surface area of bark rivals all the planet's landmass. Scientists calculate that these bark microbes could be removing a staggering 55 million tonnes of hydrogen from the global atmosphere every year.
This discovery has profound implications for improving air quality in our cities. Developing urban forests alongside metropolitan areas could be a game-changer, leveraging this natural process to clean the air we breathe.
Sabrina Hahn's Green Tip: Boost Your Neighbourhood's Air Filter
In light of this research, gardening expert Sabrina Hahn emphasises a simple yet powerful action. Increase your local area's capacity to purify air by planting more native trees and protecting existing ones from removal. Every tree planted adds to this vast, microscopic clean-up network.
The study, highlighted in The West Australian, reinforces that trees are far more than carbon sinks. They are active, complex ecosystems vital for climate regulation and biodiversity, with benefits we are only beginning to fully appreciate.
