16S rDNA methods in soil microbiology
With the introduction of molecular methods, the past decade has seen renewed interest in soil microbiology. New and exciting molecular technologies and the promise of finally opening the microbial black box in soil drive much of this interest. Although these pioneering studies have added much to our knowledge of microbial diversity in soils, it is debatable whether they have as yet advanced our understanding of the relationship between this diversity and soil processes. Hopefully, over the next few years, the knowledge gained from molecular studies will provide a better understanding of microbial communities in soils and lead ultimately to improvements in land management and to the exploitation of the genetic resources of soil.
O'Donnell
AG
Centre for Molecular Ecology King George VI Building University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK. tony.odonnell@ncl.ac.uk.
Gorres
HE