The microbiome shapes many host traits, yet the biology of microbiomes challenges
traditional evolutionary models. Here, we illustrate how integrating the microbiome into …

Bacterial biofilms are formed by communities that are embedded in a self-produced matrix of
extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Importantly, bacteria in biofilms exhibit a set …

Metacommunity ecology links smaller-scale processes that have been the provenance of
population and community ecology—such as birth-death processes, species interactions …

Bacteria living on and in leaves and roots influence many aspects of plant health, so the
extent of a plant's genetic control over its microbiota is of great interest to crop breeders and …

The trillions of microbes living in the gut—the gut microbiota—play an important role in
human biology and disease. While much has been done to explore its diversity, a full …

Recent studies have shown that accounting for intraspecific trait variation (ITV) may better
address major questions in community ecology. However, a general picture of the relative …

In recent years, scientists have realized that evolution can occur on timescales much shorter
than the" long lapse of ages" emphasized by Darwin—in fact, evolutionary change is …

Plant resource allocation patterns often reveal tradeoffs that favor growth (G) over defense
(D), or vice versa. Ecologists most often explain G–D tradeoffs through principles of …

The rhizosphere is the interface between plant roots and soil where interactions among a
myriad of microorganisms and invertebrates affect biogeochemical cycling, plant growth and …

Given the complexity of host-microbiota symbioses, scientists and philosophers are asking
questions at new biological levels of hierarchical organization—what is a holobiont and …