AUSTRALIA — Our research has uncovered the hidden world of the tiny organisms living in the bark of trees. We discovered they are quietly helping to purify the air and remove greenhouse gases. These microbes “eat”, or use, gases like methane and carbon monoxide for energy and survival. Most significantly, they also remove hydrogen, which has a role in super-charging climate change. …Bark was long assumed to be largely biologically inert in relation to climate. But our findings show it hosts active microbial communities that influence key atmospheric gases. …Over the past five years, collaborative research between Southern Cross and Monash universities studied the bark of eight common Australian tree species. We found the trees in these contrasting ecosystems all shared one thing in common: their bark was teeming with microscopic life. …Trees could be a major, previously unrecognised, global natural system for drawing down hydrogen out of the atmosphere.