How Do Soil Microbial Communities Recover from Wildfires?
Scientists examine how soil microbial communities resume ecosystem functioning after a wildfire, with a focus on the effects of dispersal.
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Microorganisms Boost Levels of Carbon Storage in Soil
Microorganisms increase the level of carbon storage in the soil, making them key players in mitigating the effects of climate change.
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Microbes Help Plants Survive Heavy Metal Stress
By Radhika Desikan When you hear the term heavy metal, what do you think of? Music or chemistry? Exposure to heavy metal music can cause stress in some humans. But what about chemical heavy metals? Are they good or bad for the environment and living organisms? In chemical terms, heavy metals are elements in earth’s crust that have a high density (weight), and they include zinc, copper, iron, silver, gold, arsenic, lead, and cobalt, to name a few. While trace amounts of heavy metals such as copper, iron, cobalt, and…
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The Millions of Microbes Beneath our Feet
By Nicholas Dove (@nicholascdove), for The Biota Project Microorganisms are everywhere on planet earth—on every surface, in the air, in the ground, and inside you. The good news is that many of these benefit you. Recent findings have shown that having a healthy gut microbiome (community of microorganisms) is important for proper digestion and even disease prevention (Penicillin is an antibacterial fungus that is used to treat many types of infections). Similarly, having a healthy soil microbiome is important to support plants and properly functioning ecosystems. Soil microbes play a…
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