"Each tree species hosts its own distinct microbial community that has evolved alongside the tree. This finding reveals the complexity of tree ecosystems."
"The discovery opens a whole new frontier for environmental microbiology, forest science, and even biotechnology, reflecting on the importance of microbial life for trees."
Trees have a rich microbiome within their trunks, containing about one trillion microbial cells on average. Healthy trees possess distinct microbiomes tailored to specific parts and are abundant in fungi, bacteria, and viruses. This microbial diversity is crucial for the health of the trees. The study analyzed DNA from 150 trees across 16 species, revealing that the three trillion trees on Earth host unique, unstudied ecosystems. The fundamental role of these microbiomes parallels the importance of human microbiomes, suggesting the need for rethinking tree biology as complex ecosystems.
Read at www.dw.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]