Abstract
When you think of microorganisms, what comes to mind? Sore throats, stuffy noses, and coughs? Some microorganisms can cause infections that make us sick. But many microorganisms help us stay healthy. All the microorganisms in a particular environment are part of its microbiome. There are microbiomes in the soil, the ocean, and even the human body! We wanted to explore the microbiomes found in the wood of living trees. We collected wood cores from 150 trees representing 16 species. Then we analyzed the DNA found in the wood. This told us which types of microorganisms lived there. We found that each tree species had its own unique microbiome. We also found that different parts of the wood had different microbiomes. Some of the microorganisms were types known to help plants and trees grow. Knowing more about tree microbiomes can help people maintain and conserve forests.
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