Defending Earth's terrestrial microbiome.

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Microbiology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Microbial life constitutes the majority of Earth's biodiversity and drives essential ecosystem processes.
• Despite their importance, Earth's microbial biodiversity, particularly soil microbes, is under threat.
• Understanding and conserving the microbiome is vital for ecosystem health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the conservation and restoration of soil microbial life.
• To highlight the potential of microbial biodiversity in managed landscapes (agriculture, forestry).
• To emphasize the role of soil fungi in ecosystem restoration.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 80 experiments on native soil microbiome restoration.
• Review of existing research on microbial biodiversity in managed ecosystems.
• Examination of market trends in microbiome engineering.

Main Results:

• Native soil microbiome restoration accelerated plant biomass production by an average of 64% across ecosystems.
• Managed landscapes (agriculture, forestry) offer significant potential for enhancing microbial biodiversity.
• Avoiding microbial monocultures is key to preventing ecosystem vulnerability.

Conclusions:

• Soil microbiome restoration is a powerful tool for enhancing plant biomass and ecosystem function.
• Integrating microbial biodiversity into managed landscapes is critical for creating reservoirs of life.
• Harnessing microbial diversity requires effective monitoring and conservation strategies to avoid past ecosystem management errors.