Soil Is Still an Unknown Biological System
More than a thousand million cells encompassing bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protists inhabit a handful of soil. The bacterial and fungal biomass can account for 1–2 and 2–5 tha<sup>−1</sup> in temperate grassland soils, respectively. Despite this huge microbial biomass, the volume occu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-05-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/11/3717 |
| _version_ | 1797566865983143936 |
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| author | Paolo Nannipieri |
| author_facet | Paolo Nannipieri |
| author_sort | Paolo Nannipieri |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | More than a thousand million cells encompassing bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protists inhabit a handful of soil. The bacterial and fungal biomass can account for 1–2 and 2–5 tha<sup>−1</sup> in temperate grassland soils, respectively. Despite this huge microbial biomass, the volume occupied by microorganisms is less than 1% of the available soil volume because most micro-niches are hostile environments. Soil microorganisms and fauna play a crucial role in soil ecosystem services, and functional redundancy is a peculiar characteristic of soil as a biological system. Complex interactions are often mediated by molecular signals that occur between microbes, microbes and plants, and microbes and animals. Several microbial species have been detected in soil using molecular techniques, particularly amplicon sequencing and metagenomics. However, their activities in situ are still poorly known because the use of soil metatranscriptomics and, in particular, soil proteomics is still a technical challenge. A holistic approach with the use of labelled compounds can give quantitative information on nutrient dynamics in the soil-plant system. Despite the remarkable technical progresses and the use of imaginative approaches, there are many knowledge gaps about soil as a biological system. These gaps are discussed from a historic perspective, starting from the seven grand questions proposed by Selman A. Waksman in 1927. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:33:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2c3e184333d64a869d6330dfefcd7be1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T19:33:27Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-2c3e184333d64a869d6330dfefcd7be12023-11-20T01:56:12ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172020-05-011011371710.3390/app10113717Soil Is Still an Unknown Biological SystemPaolo Nannipieri0Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, 50121 Florence, ItalyMore than a thousand million cells encompassing bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protists inhabit a handful of soil. The bacterial and fungal biomass can account for 1–2 and 2–5 tha<sup>−1</sup> in temperate grassland soils, respectively. Despite this huge microbial biomass, the volume occupied by microorganisms is less than 1% of the available soil volume because most micro-niches are hostile environments. Soil microorganisms and fauna play a crucial role in soil ecosystem services, and functional redundancy is a peculiar characteristic of soil as a biological system. Complex interactions are often mediated by molecular signals that occur between microbes, microbes and plants, and microbes and animals. Several microbial species have been detected in soil using molecular techniques, particularly amplicon sequencing and metagenomics. However, their activities in situ are still poorly known because the use of soil metatranscriptomics and, in particular, soil proteomics is still a technical challenge. A holistic approach with the use of labelled compounds can give quantitative information on nutrient dynamics in the soil-plant system. Despite the remarkable technical progresses and the use of imaginative approaches, there are many knowledge gaps about soil as a biological system. These gaps are discussed from a historic perspective, starting from the seven grand questions proposed by Selman A. Waksman in 1927.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/11/3717microbial interactionsrhizosphereDNAproteinsmicrobial diversitymicrobial activity |
| spellingShingle | Paolo Nannipieri Soil Is Still an Unknown Biological System Applied Sciences microbial interactions rhizosphere DNA proteins microbial diversity microbial activity |
| title | Soil Is Still an Unknown Biological System |
| title_full | Soil Is Still an Unknown Biological System |
| title_fullStr | Soil Is Still an Unknown Biological System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil Is Still an Unknown Biological System |
| title_short | Soil Is Still an Unknown Biological System |
| title_sort | soil is still an unknown biological system |
| topic | microbial interactions rhizosphere DNA proteins microbial diversity microbial activity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/11/3717 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paolonannipieri soilisstillanunknownbiologicalsystem |