Scientists have discovered yet another way that trees are essential to the health of the planet, and this time, it's not about the leaves.
The Guardian reports that a team of researchers from the University of Birmingham has published a new study detailing how microbes in tree bark are able to absorb and break down methane.
Methane is a planet-warming gas that the Guardian says is responsible for 30% of global heating since before the Industrial Revolution. It's sold as natural gas to be used as fuel, it seeps up from oil wells, and it's also a byproduct of animal agriculture and rotting trash in landfills. If you compare methane to the same amount of carbon dioxide, the methane traps up to 80 times more heat inside the atmosphere.
Until now, soil and the microbes in it were thought to be the only thing catching and breaking down methane, the Guardian says. But the researchers found that tropical forests had the highest levels of methane absorption thanks to tree bark and the warm, wet conditions that let microbes thrive.
Professor Vincent Gauci, who led the study, called this "a remarkable new way in which trees provide a vital climate service," per the Guardian.
That's big news, because our planet is overheating, with recent years setting record after record for high temperatures. To cool things down, we need to reduce the heat-trapping gases being released into the atmosphere, including methane and carbon dioxide — both of which are absorbed by trees.
"Our results suggest that planting more trees, and reducing deforestation surely must be important parts of any approach towards this goal," Gauci said, per the Guardian.
Another recent study found that the issue of how to regrow lost trees is more complicated than it appears at first glance, the Guardian reports. We can let trees in deforested areas grow back naturally, which takes a long time but costs nothing; or we can plant trees actively for faster results. The study found that the best choice depends on the site, and that a combination of both approaches would be the most effective and efficient solution.
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