Connections and Feedback: Aquatic, Plant, and Soil Microbiomes in Heterogeneous and Changing Environments

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Plant, soil, and aquatic microbiomes interact, but scientists often study them independently. Integrating knowledge across these traditionally separate subdisciplines will generate better understanding of microbial ecological properties. Interactions among plant, soil, and aquatic microbiomes, as well as anthropogenic factors, influence important ecosystem processes, including greenhouse gas fluxes, crop production, nonnative species control, and nutrient flux from terrestrial to aquatic habitats. Terrestrial microbiomes influence nutrient retention and particle movement, thereby influencing the composition and functioning of aquatic microbiomes, which, themselves, govern water quality, and the potential for harmful algal blooms. Understanding how microbiomes drive links among terrestrial (plant and soil) and aquatic habitats will inform management decisions influencing ecosystem services. In the present article, we synthesize knowledge of microbiomes from traditionally disparate fields and how they mediate connections across physically separated systems. We identify knowledge gaps currently limiting our abilities to actualize microbiome management approaches for addressing environmental problems and optimize ecosystem services.</jats:p>

Intersections: photosynthesis, abiotic stress, and the plant microbiome

“…These include conditions (such as heavy metal or saline stress) under which plant-microbe interactions play a critical role in plant tolerance as well for bioremediation (Fester et al 2014, Islam et al 2021. Moreover, future research is needed to integrate microbial services into the framework of plant interaction with not only the abiotic but also the biotic environment (Dodds et al 2020).…”

Opportunities and challenges of using metagenomic data to bring uncultured microbes into cultivation

“…Microbes possess enormous metabolic and physiological versatility and are essential to virtually all biogeochemical cycling processes [ 4 ]. Furthermore, microbiota-host associations are widespread in nature [ 5 , 6 ], and the host can benefit from the association in different ways. Microbes may aid in assimilating or synthesizing essential nutrients catabolize otherwise indigestible substrates, or act as a source of nutrition for the host themselves.…”

Incorporating marine macrophytes in plant–soil feedbacks: Emerging evidence and opportunities to advance the field

“…Trevathan‐Tackett et al., 2019) provides an opportunity to expand our understanding of how plant–soil feedbacks translate to changes in key microbially mediated ecosystem functions in marine systems. Addressing this gap not only increases understanding of similarities and differences in plant–soil feedbacks across diverse ecosystems, but also enables consideration of how links between aquatic and terrestrial systems may affect plant–microbial communities and interactions (Dodds et al., 2020).…”