Restoring soil and sediment microbiomes in the Anthropocene.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Microbiology
• Ecology

Background:

• Soil and sediment microbiomes are critical for biogeochemical cycles, climate regulation, and ecosystem resilience.
• These vital microbial communities face degradation from land use change, pollution, and climate change.
• Microbiomes are currently under-represented in ecosystem restoration efforts, hindering effective outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize current knowledge on soil and sediment microbiome restoration.
• To evaluate anthropogenic stressors impacting these microbiomes and assess existing restoration strategies.
• To propose a research workflow and future priorities for advancing microbiome restoration science.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and synthesis of existing research on soil and sediment microbiome restoration.
• Analysis of anthropogenic stressors and their impacts on microbial communities.
• Evaluation of current restoration strategies and proposal of a new research framework.

Main Results:

• Identified major anthropogenic stressors degrading soil and sediment microbiomes.
• Highlighted the linked and context-dependent nature of these impacts.
• Proposed a research workflow including baseline establishment, diagnostics, intervention design, and methodology selection.

Conclusions:

• Integrating microbiome restoration into science, practice, and policy is essential for effective and resilient ecosystem restoration.
• Current restoration efforts risk neglecting microbial foundations, compromising long-term ecosystem function.
• Advancing microbiome restoration requires a shift towards a predictive, theory-led discipline with defined research priorities.