A major challenge for advancing our understanding of the functional role of soil microbial
communities is to link changes in their structure and function under climate change. To …

Highlights•New molecular methods have revealed microbiomes to be key components of
plant health.•Plant microbiomes are mainly recruited from soil, but also from seeds and …

Nutrient scarcity is pervasive for natural microbial communities, affecting species
reproduction and co-existence. However, it remains unclear whether there are general rules …

Microbial composition and functions in the rhizosphere—an important microbial hotspot—
are among the most fascinating yet elusive topics in microbial ecology. We used 557 pairs of …

Biodegradable plastics have emerged as an ecological alternative to conventional
petroleum-based plastics. Despite the recent advances in the effects of conventional …

Our growing awareness of the microbial world's importance and diversity contrasts starkly
with our limited understanding of its fundamental structure. Despite recent advances in DNA …

Agricultural ecosystems are facing increasing environmental changes. Revealing ecological
stability of belowground organisms is key to developing management strategies that …

Accurate climate projections require an understanding of the effects of warming on
ecological communities and the underlying mechanisms that drive them,–. However, little is …

The potential for rapid reproduction is a hallmark of microbial life, but microbes in nature
must also survive and compete when growth is constrained by resource availability …

Reducing tillage and growing cover crops, widely recommended practices for boosting soil
health, have major impacts on soil communities. Surprisingly little is known about their …