Prokaryotic Diversity: Magnitude, Dynamics, and Controlling Factors

There are probably millions of species in the microorganismal domains Bacteria and Archaea (the prokaryotes), and we are only just beginning to work out the basic principles governing their distribution and abundance in natural environments. One characteristic that has become clear is that prokaryot...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 2002-05, Vol.296 (5570), p.1064-1066
Main Authors: Torsvik, Vigdis, Øvreås, Lise, Thingstad, Tron Frede
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Archaea
Archaea - genetics
Archaea - physiology
Bacteria
Bacterial Physiological Phenomena
Biodiversity
Biogeography
Biological diversity
Biological Evolution
Biological taxonomies
Biomass
Biotic communities
Community Relations
DNA
Ecosystem
Environmental Microbiology
Eukaryota - physiology
Forest soils
Freshwater
Genetic diversity
Genome, Archaeal
Genome, Bacterial
Genomes
Genomics
Geologic Sediments - microbiology
Microbiology
Microorganisms
Monera
Phytoplankton - physiology
Prokaryotes
Sedimentary soils
Sediments
Soil Microbiology
Species diversity
Taxa
Viewpoints and Reviews
Water
Water Microbiology
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Summary:There are probably millions of species in the microorganismal domains Bacteria and Archaea (the prokaryotes), and we are only just beginning to work out the basic principles governing their distribution and abundance in natural environments. One characteristic that has become clear is that prokaryote diversity in aquatic environments is orders of magnitude less than in sediments and soils. Hypotheses and models explaining such differences are under development and are beginning to offer promising insights into the mechanisms governing prokaryote diversity and ecosystem function.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.1071698