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Microbiome

Tree bark microbiota in climate-active gas cycling

Nature Reviews Microbiology (2026)Cite this article

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Trees have a substantial role in carbon sequestration via photosynthesis and are therefore important in the mitigation of global climate change. However, the role of trees in the cycling of other trace greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4), hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) is not well understood. Recent studies have shown that the tree stem and bark (the caulosphere) form a distinct ecological niche that hosts a diverse and active microbial community. In contrast to the communities associated with tree roots and leaves, the composition, lifestyle, functions and potential environmental roles of bark-associated communities remain elusive. In a recent study, Leung, Jeffrey et al. report that the tree bark microbial community actively modulates fluxes of climate-active gases and volatile organic compounds, and may mediate global atmospheric gas cycling.

Next, to confirm the genomically derived data, the authors carried out microcosm assays. They showed that bark microorganisms aerobically consume CH4, H2 and CO, but that under anoxic conditions the bacteria switched to the production of these gases. These findings confirm that members of the tree bark community can flexibly metabolize gases and adapt to changing substrate and redox conditions within trees. Therefore, depending on the environmental conditions (such as in summer or at night), the microbial communities in the caulosphere not only act as a sink for climate-active gases, but can also be a source of CH4, H2 and CO, an effect that could be exacerbated under a warmer climate.

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References

Original article

  • Leung, P. M. et al. Bark microbiota modulate climate-active gas fluxes in Australian forests. Science 391, eadu2182 (2026)

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  1. Nature Reviews Microbiology http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/

    Andrea Du Toit

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  1. Andrea Du Toit
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Correspondence to Andrea Du Toit.

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Du Toit, A. Tree bark microbiota in climate-active gas cycling. Nat Rev Microbiol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-026-01281-3

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