21/02/2026
I am a true tree hugger, are you ONE just like me?
Trees creating a barkosphere.
We all know that trees are crucial for the health of our planet and ourselves, as they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and release life-giving oxygen. However, recent scientific research has revealed the fascinating world of bark.
It has been discovered that the bark of trees contains billions of tiny organisms that help purify the air and remove greenhouse gases. These microbes ‘eat’ hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, and other gases for their energy and survival. The active microbial communities found in tree bark significantly influence atmospheric gases.
Southern Cross and Monash universities collaborated over the last five years to study the bark on eight Australian tree species from woodlands and wetlands. They discovered that the bark on the selected tree species was absolutely teeming with microscopic life, with one square metre of bark containing over 6 trillion microbial cells.
To investigate the activities of these bark microbes scientists used a technique called metagenomic sequencing. This method allowed them to read the DNA of every microorganism in a sample simultaneously.
These microbes were eating gases including methane that is responsible for about one third of global warming gases. The big standout in the study found that in all species the bark, including wetland species of trees, the microbes consistently removed hydrogen from the air.
The study group also found abundant microbial enzymes that removed carbon monoxide, suggesting that tree bark helps clean the air we breathe. This could be a game-changer for urban areas that have poor air quality if urban forests are developed alongside cities.
It is estimated that there are around 3 trillion trees on the planet and scientists have calculated that tree microbes could remove up to 55 million tonnes of hydrogen from the atmosphere annually. When you consider the cumulative surface area of bark on trees, its far greater than all the land surface of earth.
Trees have long been a major influence on climate and are vital for biodiversity. Recent research clearly shows that trees provide many more benefits that we are only beginning to understand.
Increase the capacity of your own neighbourhood in cleaning up the air by planting more trees and saving the ones we have from destruction.
