Applying population and community ecology theory to advance understanding of belowground biogeochemistry

Approaches to quantifying and predicting soil biogeochemical cycles mostly consider microbial biomass and community composition as products of the abiotic environment. Current numerical approaches then primarily emphasise the importance of microbe–environment interactions and physiology as controls...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecology letters 2017-02, Vol.20 (2), p.231-245
Main Authors: Buchkowski, Robert W., Bradford, Mark A., Grandy, Andrew Stuart, Schmitz, Oswald J., Wieder, William R., der Putten, Wim
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
Biogeochemical cycles
Biogeochemistry
Biomass
Biota
Community composition
Community ecology
Competition
Computer simulation
Density dependence
Ecology
Microbial activity
microbial biomass
microbial physiology
Microbiology
Microorganisms
nitrogen mineralisation
Population ecology
Predation
Soil - chemistry
soil carbon
Soil Microbiology
soil respiration
Soils
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Summary:Approaches to quantifying and predicting soil biogeochemical cycles mostly consider microbial biomass and community composition as products of the abiotic environment. Current numerical approaches then primarily emphasise the importance of microbe–environment interactions and physiology as controls on biogeochemical cycles. Decidedly less attention has been paid to understanding control exerted by community dynamics and biotic interactions. Yet a rich literature of theoretical and empirical contributions highlights the importance of considering how variation in microbial population ecology, especially biotic interactions, is related to variation in key biogeochemical processes like soil carbon formation. We demonstrate how a population and community ecology perspective can be used to (1) understand the impact of microbial communities on biogeochemical cycles and (2) reframe current theory and models to include more detailed microbial ecology. Through a series of simulations we illustrate how density dependence and key biotic interactions, such as competition and predation, can determine the degree to which microbes regulate soil biogeochemical cycles. The ecological perspective and model simulations we present lay the foundation for developing empirical research and complementary models that explore the diversity of ecological mechanisms that operate in microbial communities to regulate biogeochemical processes.
ISSN:1461-023X
1461-0248
DOI:10.1111/ele.12712