Towards an integrative understanding of soil biodiversity

M.P. Thakur (Corresponding author), Helen R. P. Phillips, Ulrich Brose, Franciska T. De Vries, Patrick Lavelle, M. Loreau, J. Mathieu, Christian Mulder, W.H. van der Putten, Matthias C Rillig, David A. Wardle, Elizabeth M. Bach, Marie L. C. Bartz, Joanne M. Bennett, M.J.I. Briones, George Brown, T. Decaëns, Nico Eisenhauer, Olga Ferlian, Carlos GuerraBirgitta König-Ries, Alberto Orgiazzi, Kelly Ramirez, David Russell, M. Rutgers, Diana H. Wall, Erin K. Cameron

Research output: Contribution to journal/periodicalArticleScientificpeer-review

105 Citations (Scopus)
232 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Soil is one of the most biodiverse terrestrial habitats. Yet, we lack an integrative conceptual framework for understanding the patterns and mechanisms driving soil biodiversity. One of the underlying reasons for our poor understanding of soil biodiversity patterns relates to whether key biodiversity theories (historically developed for aboveground and aquatic organisms) are applicable to patterns of soil biodiversity. Here, we present a systematic literature review to investigate whether and how key biodiversity theories (species–energy relationship, theory of island biogeography, metacommunity theory, niche theory and neutral theory) can explain observed patterns of soil biodiversity. We then discuss two spatial compartments nested within soil at which biodiversity theories can be applied to acknowledge the scale‐dependent nature of soil biodiversity.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)350-364
JournalBiological Reviews
Volume95
Issue number2
Early online date2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Keywords

  • international
  • Plan_S-Compliant_NO

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