Mechanisms to mitigate global climate change by sequestering carbon (C) in different 'sinks'
have been proposed as at least temporary measures. Of the major global C pools, terrestrial …

Evaluating the quality of ecosystems in terms of biological patrimony and functioning is of
critical importance in the actual context of intensified human activities. Microbial diversity is …

Theoretical and empirical advances have revealed the importance of biodiversity for
stabilizing ecosystem functions through time. Despite the global degradation of soils …

Human well-being relies critically on ecosystem services provided by nature. Examples
include water and air quality regulation, nutrient cycling and decomposition, plant pollination …

Biodiversity and its responses to environmental changes are central issues in ecology and
for society. Almost all microbial biodiversity research focuses on “species” richness and …

Background The soil represents a reservoir that contains at least twice as much carbon as
does the atmosphere, yet (apart from 'root crops') mainly just the above-ground plant …

Small populations are predicted to have reduced capacity to adapt to environmental change
for two reasons. First, population genetic models indicate that genetic variation and potential …

A dead mammal (ie cadaver) is a high quality resource (narrow carbon: nitrogen ratio, high
water content) that releases an intense, localised pulse of carbon and nutrients into the soil …

Understanding the structure, functions, activities and dynamics of microbial communities in
natural environments is one of the grand challenges of 21st century science. To address this …

Microbial communities in plant roots provide critical links between above‐and belowground
processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Variation in root communities has been attributed to …