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Microbial diversity drives multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems

Author

Listed:
  • Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo

    (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University)

  • Fernando T. Maestre

    (Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán Sin Número)

  • Peter B. Reich

    (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
    University of Minnesota)

  • Thomas C. Jeffries

    (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University)

  • Juan J. Gaitan

    (Instituto de Suelos, CIRN, INTA, Nicolas Repetto y de los Reseros Sin Número)

  • Daniel Encinar

    (Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán Sin Número)

  • Miguel Berdugo

    (Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán Sin Número)

  • Colin D. Campbell

    (The James Hutton Institute)

  • Brajesh K. Singh

    (Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University
    Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University)

Abstract

Despite the importance of microbial communities for ecosystem services and human welfare, the relationship between microbial diversity and multiple ecosystem functions and services (that is, multifunctionality) at the global scale has yet to be evaluated. Here we use two independent, large-scale databases with contrasting geographic coverage (from 78 global drylands and from 179 locations across Scotland, respectively), and report that soil microbial diversity positively relates to multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems. The direct positive effects of microbial diversity were maintained even when accounting simultaneously for multiple multifunctionality drivers (climate, soil abiotic factors and spatial predictors). Our findings provide empirical evidence that any loss in microbial diversity will likely reduce multifunctionality, negatively impacting the provision of services such as climate regulation, soil fertility and food and fibre production by terrestrial ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo & Fernando T. Maestre & Peter B. Reich & Thomas C. Jeffries & Juan J. Gaitan & Daniel Encinar & Miguel Berdugo & Colin D. Campbell & Brajesh K. Singh, 2016. "Microbial diversity drives multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10541
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10541
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Zhongmin Dai & Xu Guo & Jiahui Lin & Xiu Wang & Dan He & Rujiong Zeng & Jun Meng & Jipeng Luo & Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo & Eduardo Moreno-Jiménez & Philip C. Brookes & Jianming Xu, 2023. "Metallic micronutrients are associated with the structure and function of the soil microbiome," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Jae-hyuck Lee & HaeOk Choi, 2020. "An Analysis of Public Complaints to Evaluate Ecosystem Services," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-11, February.
    3. Olga A Nev & Richard J Lindsay & Alys Jepson & Lisa Butt & Robert E Beardmore & Ivana Gudelj, 2021. "Predicting microbial growth dynamics in response to nutrient availability," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(3), pages 1-20, March.
    4. J. M. Lavallee & M. Chomel & N. Alvarez Segura & F. Castro & T. Goodall & M. Magilton & J. M. Rhymes & M. Delgado-Baquerizo & R. I. Griffiths & E. M. Baggs & T. Caruso & F. T. Vries & M. Emmerson & D., 2024. "Land management shapes drought responses of dominant soil microbial taxa across grasslands," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    5. Chiranjib Chakraborty & Ashish Ranjan Sharma & Garima Sharma & Manojit Bhattacharya & Sang-Soo Lee, 2023. "Exploring the status of global terrestrial and aquatic microbial diversity through ‘Biodiversity Informatics’," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(10), pages 10567-10598, October.
    6. Aditi Sengupta & Priyanka Kushwaha & Antonia Jim & Peter A. Troch & Raina Maier, 2020. "New Soil, Old Plants, and Ubiquitous Microbes: Evaluating the Potential of Incipient Basaltic Soil to Support Native Plant Growth and Influence Belowground Soil Microbial Community Composition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-18, May.
    7. Pratheepa Jeganathan & Susan P. Holmes, 2021. "A Statistical Perspective on the Challenges in Molecular Microbial Biology," Journal of Agricultural, Biological and Environmental Statistics, Springer;The International Biometric Society;American Statistical Association, vol. 26(2), pages 131-160, June.
    8. Minna Zhang & Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo & Guangyin Li & Forest Isbell & Yue Wang & Yann Hautier & Yao Wang & Yingli Xiao & Jinting Cai & Xiaobin Pan & Ling Wang, 2023. "Experimental impacts of grazing on grassland biodiversity and function are explained by aridity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    9. Maëva Labouyrie & Cristiano Ballabio & Ferran Romero & Panos Panagos & Arwyn Jones & Marc W. Schmid & Vladimir Mikryukov & Olesya Dulya & Leho Tedersoo & Mohammad Bahram & Emanuele Lugato & Marcel G. , 2023. "Patterns in soil microbial diversity across Europe," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-21, December.
    10. Rui Zhao & Junying Li & Kening Wu & Long Kang, 2021. "Cultivated Land Use Zoning Based on Soil Function Evaluation from the Perspective of Black Soil Protection," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-29, June.
    11. Antonino Malacrinò & Victoria A Sadowski & Tvisha K Martin & Nathalia Cavichiolli de Oliveira & Ian J Brackett & James D Feller & Kristian J Harris & Orlando Combita Heredia & Rosa Vescio & Alison E B, 2020. "Biological invasions alter environmental microbiomes: A meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-12, October.
    12. Yang Li & Wen Zhang & Christopher R. Schwalm & Pierre Gentine & William K. Smith & Philippe Ciais & John S. Kimball & Antonio Gazol & Steven A. Kannenberg & Anping Chen & Shilong Piao & Hongyan Liu & , 2023. "Widespread spring phenology effects on drought recovery of Northern Hemisphere ecosystems," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 13(2), pages 182-188, February.
    13. Guillaume Patoine & Nico Eisenhauer & Simone Cesarz & Helen R. P. Phillips & Xiaofeng Xu & Lihua Zhang & Carlos A. Guerra, 2022. "Drivers and trends of global soil microbial carbon over two decades," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

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