Key Points
- Scientists discovered a vast community of microbes living inside tree wood. A single tree can host about one trillion bacteria.
- The inner and outer wood of a tree has its distinct microbial communities.
- Different tree species, like maples and pines, host different types of microbes.
- This discovery could help us understand how trees store carbon and adapt to climate change.
Scientists have discovered a hidden world living inside the wood of trees. This finding opens up a whole new frontier in forest science. A new study, published in Nature, led by a team at Yale, found that a single tree is home to a thriving community of about one trillion microbes.
For years, research has focused on the outside of trees—the leaves, bark, and roots. This new study is one of the first to explore the vast, unknown ecosystem living within the wood itself. The discovery changes our understanding of how trees function and could be crucial for helping forests adapt to the challenges of climate change.
The scientists surveyed 150 trees from 16 different species. They found that the inner wood (heartwood) and outer wood (sapwood) each have their unique communities of microbes.
The inner wood is dominated by microbes that don’t need oxygen, while the outer wood is home to microbes that do. These tiny organisms are actively producing gases and cycling nutrients, playing a direct role in the life of the tree.
The researchers also discovered that different tree species host different microbes. For example, a sugar maple’s microbial community was very different from a pine’s, suggesting that these microbes may have evolved right alongside their host trees over millions of years.
The authors say there is a massive, unexplored reservoir of biodiversity living inside the world’s trees. Cataloging and understanding these communities could unlock new ways to promote tree growth, fight disease, and protect our forests.
