The Ecology of the Soil Biota and their Function

Microbial communities are fundamental cornerstones of terrestrial ecological systems. As such, microbial and soil ecologists are working to understand the mechanisms that determine species distribution and consequential impacts on the environment. In this chapter, we focus on the ecology of soil biota, particularly on the processes that drive community structure (number and types of species) examining specifically the environmental limitations to growth and the biotic interactions that influence species coexistence and ultimately determine diversity. We then discuss the impacts of community structure on their function in ecosystems. We explore how microbial community structure influences energy transformations and nutrient turnover and how these interactions result in ecosystems with unique emergent properties. The discussion of ecological principles is accompanied by examples from the literature on soil and microbial ecology. Ultimately, the chapter explains why the integrative approach provided by the field of ecology is necessary for understanding the complexity of soil systems.