title: Belowground biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
abstract: Evidence is mounting that the immense diversity of microorganisms and animals that live belowground contributes significantly to shaping aboveground biodiversity and the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Our understanding of how this belowground biodiversity is distributed, and how it regulates the structure and functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, is rapidly growing. Evidence also points to soil biodiversity as having a key role in determining the ecological and evolutionary responses of terrestrial ecosystems to current and future environmental change. Here we review recent progress and propose avenues for further research in this field.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bardgett
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), PO Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands [2] Laboratory of Nematology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8123, 6700 ES Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: van der Putten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D020387:Food Chain; D058865:Introduced Species; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013997:Time Factors