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Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
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Stochastic Community Assembly: Does It Matter in Microbial Ecology?

Jizhong Zhou1,2,3, Daliang Ning4,5

  • 1Institute for Environmental Genomics, Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, and School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA jzhou@ou.edu.

Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews : MMBR
|October 13, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Ecological stochasticity plays a significant role in microbial community assembly, but its precise impact relative to deterministic processes remains debated. This review synthesizes current research on stochasticity in microbial ecology.

Keywords:
community assemblyecological driftecological processesecological stochasticitymicrobial communities

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Microbial Ecology
  • Community Ecology

Background:

  • Understanding ecological mechanisms governing community diversity, function, succession, and biogeography is a central challenge, especially in microbial ecology.
  • The relative importance of stochastic versus deterministic processes in shaping community structure is a subject of intense debate.
  • The role of ecological stochasticity in microbial community assembly is particularly underappreciated due to challenges in defining and measuring it.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically review and synthesize recent studies on stochastic community assembly in microbial ecology.
  • To delineate the stochastic and deterministic components within key ecological processes like selection, dispersal, diversification, and drift.
  • To highlight experimental and observational approaches for inferring and measuring ecological stochasticity in microbial communities.

Main Methods:

  • Critical review and synthesis of recent literature on stochasticity in microbial community assembly.
  • Description of stochastic and deterministic elements in ecological processes (selection, dispersal, diversification, drift).
  • Analysis of diverse methods for inferring stochasticity from observational data and experimental designs.

Main Results:

  • Stochastic processes are integral to microbial community assembly, influencing diversity and structure.
  • Distinguishing stochasticity from deterministic factors requires careful consideration of ecological processes and methodological approaches.
  • Current research highlights various methods, but significant gaps and challenges remain in fully understanding ecological stochasticity.

Conclusions:

  • Ecological stochasticity is a crucial factor in microbial community assembly, necessitating further research.
  • Standardized methods are needed to better define and quantify stochasticity in microbial ecology.
  • Future research should focus on experimental approaches to disentangle stochastic and deterministic influences on microbial communities.