Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 23, 2026
09:55
Exploring the Root Microbiome: Extracting Bacterial Community Data from the Soil, Rhizosphere, and Root Endosphere
Published on: May 2, 2018
Soil protist communities form a dynamic hub in the soil microbiome
Wu Xiong1,2,3, Alexandre Jousset1,2, Sai Guo1
1Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waste Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
The ISME Journal
|October 14, 2017
Summary
Soil amendments impact soil protist communities, reducing pathogens and increasing beneficial microbes. Protists act as central hubs, linking bacteria and fungi for improved soil health.
Area of Science:
- Soil Science
- Microbiology
- Ecology
Background:
- Soil microbial communities are crucial for soil fertility.
- Protists, key drivers of microbiome composition, are understudied compared to bacteria and fungi.
- Understanding protist responses to soil management is vital for soil health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of soil amendments on soil protist communities.
- To infer potential interactions between protists, bacteria, and fungi.
- To highlight the role of protists in soil health enhancement.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of soil protist community structure and function under different fertilization treatments.
- Assessment of impacts from individual biocontrol bacteria and fungi additions.
- Network analysis integrating protist, bacterial, and fungal community data.
Main Results:
- Specific fertilization treatments significantly altered protist community structure and function.
- Organic fertilizer amendment reduced plant pathogenic protists and increased bacterivorous/omnivorous protists.
- Protists were identified as central hubs in the soil microbiome, connecting bacterial and fungal populations.
Conclusions:
- Soil amendments, particularly organic fertilizers, modulate soil protist communities.
- Protists play a critical role in linking bacterial and fungal communities within the soil microbiome.
- Protists offer a potential leverage point for soil management strategies aimed at enhancing microbial communities and soil health.
Related Concept Videos
02:23The Soil Ecosystem
Plants obtain inorganic minerals and water from the soil, which acts as a natural medium for land plants. The composition and quality of soil depend not only on the chemical constituents but also on the presence of living organisms. In general, soils contain three major components:
02:11The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
Plants have the impressive ability to create their own food through photosynthesis. However, plants often require assistance from organisms in the soil to acquire the nutrients they need to function correctly. Both bacteria and fungi have evolved symbiotic relationships with plants that help the species to thrive in a wide variety of environments.
01:28Introduction to Microbial Ecology
Microbial ecology examines the complex web of interactions and diversity among microorganisms within various ecosystems. This field seeks to understand how microbial populations adapt to and influence their environments and how these interactions shape broader ecological processes. Microbes are integral to ecosystem function, participating in nutrient cycling, energy flow, and the maintenance of environmental homeostasis.An ecosystem represents a dynamic interaction between living organisms...
01:22Microenvironments
Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...
01:25Microbial Mats
Microbial communities forming biofilms and mats represent complex, spatially structured ecosystems where metabolic processes are stratified according to light, oxygen, and nutrient gradients. Biofilms are initial colonization stages, only a few millimeters thick, while mature microbial mats can reach centimeter-scale thickness and display intricate vertical organization. Their structural and functional heterogeneity allows microorganisms to occupy distinct ecological niches within a few...
01:29Soil Microbial Ecology
Soil microbial ecology is defined by highly diverse, spatially structured communities that drive nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and overall ecosystem stability. Although a gram of soil can contain thousands of bacterial and archaeal taxa, the ecological processes they mediate are even more crucial for sustaining terrestrial life.Microhabitats and NichesSoil is a heterogeneous mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. Microbes inhabit distinct microhabitats formed by...