Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026
09:55
Exploring the Root Microbiome: Extracting Bacterial Community Data from the Soil, Rhizosphere, and Root Endosphere
Published on: May 2, 2018
28.1K
Ecology and Evolution of Plant Microbiomes
Viviane Cordovez1, Francisco Dini-Andreote1, Víctor J Carrión1,2
1Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands;
Annual Review of Microbiology
|May 16, 2019
Summary
Understanding the plant microbiome is key to improving plant health and growth. This review explores factors shaping plant microbial communities and how domestication impacts them, offering insights for agricultural applications.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Plant Science
- Ecology
Background:
- Microorganisms inhabiting plants offer essential functions, yet their complex ecology and evolution remain poorly understood.
- The plant microbiome's functional capabilities are vast, but knowledge of these diverse microbial communities is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review factors influencing plant microbiome composition and function.
- To highlight the impact of plant domestication on microbiome assembly.
- To propose community ecology theory as a framework for understanding microbiome structure.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of plant genotypic/phenotypic traits and environmental factors.
- Analysis of domestication effects on microbiome assembly.
- Application of community ecology principles to microbiome research.
Main Results:
- Plant traits and environmental factors significantly shape microbiome composition.
- Plant domestication alters microbiome assembly, often reducing beneficial microbes.
- Wild relatives and native habitats offer insights for microbiome restoration.
Conclusions:
- A deeper understanding of plant microbiome ecology is crucial for sustainable agriculture.
- Harnessing microbial benefits requires considering plant traits, environment, and evolutionary history.
- Community ecology provides a robust framework for dissecting microbiome dynamics.
Related Concept Videos
02:26Ecological Disturbance
20.8K
An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.
20.8K
02:17Ecological Succession
21.4K
Ecological succession is influenced by the processes of facilitation, inhibition, and toleration. Facilitation occurs when early successional species create more favorable ecological conditions for subsequent species, such as enhanced nutrient, water, or light availability. In contrast, inhibition happens when early successional species create unfavorable ecological conditions for potential successive species, such as limiting resource availability. In some cases, later successional species...
21.4K
02:02Ecological Niches
26.1K
All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.
26.1K
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
47.7K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
47.7K
01:54Convergent Evolution
31.6K
Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.
31.6K
01:24Eukaryotic Evolution
40.4K
The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
40.4K