Microbial Ecology Books

[Pelagio Bosch]

Thethird edition of Microbial Ecology of the Oceans features new topics, as well as different approaches to subjects dealt with in previous editions. The book starts out with a general introduction to the changes in the field, as well as looking at the prospects for the coming years. Chapters cover ecology, diversity, and function of microbes, and of microbial genes in the ocean. The biology and ecology of some model organisms, and how we can model the whole of the marine microbes, are dealt with, and some of the trophic roles that have changed in the last years are discussed. Finally, the role of microbes in the oceanic P cycle are presented.

Microbial Ecology of the Oceans is an ideal text for advanced undergraduates, beginning graduate students, and colleagues from other fields wishing to learn about microbes and the processes they mediate in marine systems.

The distribution and function of microorganisms are of crucial importance for the Earth's biogeochemical cycles. Effects of microbial communities on the carbon and nitrogen cycles are particularly important for climate gases. These biogeochemical cycles are significantly impacted by global climate change and microbes may respond by accelerating or alleviating human-caused change. Understanding microbial ecology in the different ecosystems is essential for our ability to assess the importance of biogeochemical cycles-climate feedbacks.

In the first edition of this acclaimed book, a broad range of renowned scientists reviewed the most important hot-topics in the area of climate change and microbial ecology, thus providing a timely and authoritative overview of this increasingly important area. Climate change is continuing unabated and this new, expanded edition contains revised and updated chapters and the addition of four new chapters covering more of the topical fields in this important area of climate science.

"An extensive approach to climate change ... Marxsen has structured the book perfectly and engages the audience with fascinating images and conceptual diagrams that support the text concisely. ... this book is heavily descriptive and delivers an informative guide to the relations of climate change in primarily aquatic and soil-based communities of microorganisms. I have found this book to be very factual, easy to navigate, and provides us with a clear insight into immerging bacteria around the world that any level of reader would be able to comprehend." from Microbiol. Today

Microbes have dominated life on Earth for most of its 4.5 billion-year history. They are the foundation of the biosphere, controlling the biogeochemical cycles and affecting geology, hydrology, and local and global climates. All life is completely dependent upon them. Humans cannot survive without the rich diversity of microbes, but most microbial species can survive without humans.

A more complete understanding of microbial diversity and the environmental processes they control will require much more than a biotic inventory. It will require a deeper understanding of the basic units of organization and their interactions. Communities, not total biomass, control net process rates driving the biogeo-chemical cycles sustaining the biosphere. Thus, descriptions of the temporal and spatial dimensions of microbial community structure and the complex gene expression patterns that underlie trophic interactions are fundamental to a more complete understanding of our biosphere. In turn, this understanding will be incomplete without knowledge of the fundamental mechanisms contributing to genetic variation and speciation. Genome sequencing has revealed totally unexpected genetic plasticity within and among named microbial species, and horizontal DNA exchange is now recognized to be a major force in the shaping of their genomes and fostering biochemical innovation.

Rapid advances in genome science must be complemented by investment in systematics, developing a taxonomy better adapted to genomic information. Traditional taxonomic concepts (i.e., species, genus, family) do not serve microbial systematics, in which problems of horizontal gene transfer and mechanisms of speciation and evolution are varied and complex. Currently, the strain is the unit of taxonomy and research, but this needs to be refined, not only for more effective ecological and evolutionary research, but also for better storage and retrieval of cultures, genomic data, identification of organisms in samples, patenting, and bioprospecting.

Although the general patterns of macroorganismal diversity are relatively well known, spatial patterns of microorganismal diversity are completely unknown. Intensive microbial genetic/biodiversity surveys, covering the full range of environmental conditions and geological/evolutionary histories, will be required to determine the patterns that exist. This is a prerequisite to developing hypotheses to explain these patterns and linking patterns to processes at local and global levels.

These studies will generate very large amounts of data, as is now most clearly shown by the explosive growth of genome sequence information. However, reducing sequence data to a more useful form through annotation lags far behind the accumulation of sequences. As yet there is no provision for systematic inclusion of environmental information in sequence repositories. Thus, an important need is the ability to get data out in usable form. Although a universally accessible database would be a step toward sharing data and communicating information to the scientific community, more specific steps need to be taken.

Ten years from now, we hope that we will have integrated genome sequence information with the environment. The environment is the context in which genomes evolved, function, and continue to evolve. It is the only context in which they can be fully understood. The future includes a 10-year plan, in which techniques, outreach and training, and targeted areas for specific research programs will provide a road map for a structured, rapid integration of genomics with microbial systematics, evolution, and ecology.

Genomics, including analysis, is tool driven. Thus, mechanisms need to be established to encourage and reward development of new technology needed to efficiently and broadly deploy these new techniques.

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