Erschienen in:
Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 50 (2019) 1, Seite 145-168
Sprache:
Englisch
DOI:
10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110617-062605
ISSN:
1545-2069;
1543-592X
Entstehung:
Anmerkungen:
Beschreibung:
Microorganisms drive several processes needed for robust plant growth and health. Harnessing microbial functions is thus key to productive and sustainable food production. Molecular methods have led to a greater understanding of the soil microbiome composition. However, translating species or gene composition into microbiome functionality remains a challenge. Community ecology concepts such as the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning framework may help predict the assembly and function of plant-associated soil microbiomes. Higher diversity can increase the number and resilience of plant-beneficial functions that can be coexpressed and unlock the expression of plant-beneficial traits that are hard to obtain from any species in isolation. We combine well-established community ecology concepts with molecular microbiology into a workable framework that may enable us to predict and enhance soil microbiome functionality to promote robust plant growth in a global change context.