Year: 2022
Type: review
Abstract: Microbial communities play important roles in soil health, contributing to processes such as the turnover of organic matter and nutrient cycling. As soil edaphic properties such as chemical composition and physical structure change from surface layers to deeper ones, the soil microbiome similarly exhibits substantial variability with depth, with respect to both community composition and functional profiles. However, soil microbiome studies often neglect deeper soils, instead focusing on the top layer of soil. Here, we provide a synthesis on how the soil and its resident microbiome change with depth. We touch upon soil physicochemical properties, microbial diversity, composition, and functional profiles, with a special emphasis on carbon cycling. In doing so, we seek to highlight the importance of incorporating analyses of deeper soils in soil studies.
Source: Microorganisms
Authors: Dan Naylor, Ryan McClure, Janet Jansson
Institution: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,303
Funder: U.S. Department of Energy
Award: G3953652788
OpenAlex ID: W4214696247