Evidence is mounting that the immense diversity of microorganisms and animals that live
belowground contributes significantly to shaping aboveground biodiversity and the …

The number of species on Earth is one of the most fundamental numbers in science, but one
that remains highly uncertain. Clearly, more species exist than the present number of …

The global diversity of Bacteria and Archaea, the most ancient and most widespread forms
of life on Earth, is a subject of intense controversy. This controversy stems largely from the …

Natural ecosystems show variable resistance to invasion by alien species, and this
resistance can relate to the species diversity in the system. In soil, microorganisms are key …

Publicly available sequence databases of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, also
known as 16S rRNA in bacteria and archaea, are growing rapidly, and the number of entries …

John Dupré explores recent revolutionary developments in biology and considers their
relevance for our understanding of human nature and human society. Epigenetics and …

All communities are dominated by a few species that account for most of the biomass and
carbon cycling. On the other hand, a large number of species are represented by only a few …

We review the biogeography of microorganisms in light of the biogeography of
macroorganisms. A large body of research supports the idea that free-living microbial taxa …

The species concept is a recurrent controversial issue that preoccupies philosophers as well
as biologists of all disciplines. Prokaryotic species concept has its own history and results …

Quantifying diversity is of central importance for the study of structure, function and evolution
of microbial communities. The estimation of microbial diversity has received renewed …