The abundance of active microorganisms in soil hotspots can be 2–20 times higher than in the surrounding soil, and their specific activities (such as respiration, microbial growth, mineralization potential, enzyme activities) as well as RNA/DNA ratio may also be much higher. To identify the microorganisms inhabiting different ecological niches their DNA can be analyzed. It should be emphasized that insights into ecological niches such as the soil hotspot niche are encrypted in species’ genomes as species’ traits are encoded in their DNA. Genomic information provides an avenue for evaluating target species’ fundamental niches. Thus, potential strength of competitive interactions within hot spot communities could be evaluated based on the distribution of species’ gene repertoires within ecological niche space inferred with metagenomic data, which we term “metagenomic niche space”. Although overlap of niches does not always cause competitive exclusion, higher levels of gene repertoire overlap within a community may impose greater impacts on population dynamics of constituent species.
The aim of this Research Topic will be to present new information and research on how the microbiome works in specific hotspot microenvironments. It should be emphasized that in the scientific literature, numerous articles have been published on the microbial action in soil hotspots. At the same time, there are few studies that report a wide range of microbiomes in soil hotspot. Hence, it is necessary to perform holistic studies and report on the hotspots responsible for ecologically relevant processes in the environment, especially in soil – one of the most heterogeneous microbial ecosystems of the biosphere.
In this Research Topic, we welcome Original Research articles, Technology Reports, Reviews, and Mini Reviews that cover, but are not limited to, the following areas:
1. Studies on the detection of microbiome abundance and activity related to process rates in hotspot;
2. Interdisciplinary studies on the main microbial processes in hotspots, process rates and priming effects in different soil management regimes;
3. Research and reports on the analysis of microbiota interactions in hotspots;
4. Research on the importance of spatial and temporal biological heterogeneity of soils;
5. The latest insights in approaches for hotspot identification.
Keywords:
Soil hotspots, Soil microbiome, Soil microbiotia, Species gene repertoire, Hotspot indentification, Microbiome abundance and activity, Priming effects, Different usage soil, metagenomic niche space
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
The abundance of active microorganisms in soil hotspots can be 2–20 times higher than in the surrounding soil, and their specific activities (such as respiration, microbial growth, mineralization potential, enzyme activities) as well as RNA/DNA ratio may also be much higher. To identify the microorganisms inhabiting different ecological niches their DNA can be analyzed. It should be emphasized that insights into ecological niches such as the soil hotspot niche are encrypted in species’ genomes as species’ traits are encoded in their DNA. Genomic information provides an avenue for evaluating target species’ fundamental niches. Thus, potential strength of competitive interactions within hot spot communities could be evaluated based on the distribution of species’ gene repertoires within ecological niche space inferred with metagenomic data, which we term “metagenomic niche space”. Although overlap of niches does not always cause competitive exclusion, higher levels of gene repertoire overlap within a community may impose greater impacts on population dynamics of constituent species.
The aim of this Research Topic will be to present new information and research on how the microbiome works in specific hotspot microenvironments. It should be emphasized that in the scientific literature, numerous articles have been published on the microbial action in soil hotspots. At the same time, there are few studies that report a wide range of microbiomes in soil hotspot. Hence, it is necessary to perform holistic studies and report on the hotspots responsible for ecologically relevant processes in the environment, especially in soil – one of the most heterogeneous microbial ecosystems of the biosphere.
In this Research Topic, we welcome Original Research articles, Technology Reports, Reviews, and Mini Reviews that cover, but are not limited to, the following areas:
1. Studies on the detection of microbiome abundance and activity related to process rates in hotspot;
2. Interdisciplinary studies on the main microbial processes in hotspots, process rates and priming effects in different soil management regimes;
3. Research and reports on the analysis of microbiota interactions in hotspots;
4. Research on the importance of spatial and temporal biological heterogeneity of soils;
5. The latest insights in approaches for hotspot identification.
Keywords:
Soil hotspots, Soil microbiome, Soil microbiotia, Species gene repertoire, Hotspot indentification, Microbiome abundance and activity, Priming effects, Different usage soil, metagenomic niche space
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.