Arctic soil microbial diversity in a changing world.
The Arctic region is a unique environment, subject to extreme environmental conditions, shaping life therein and contributing to its sensitivity to environmental change. The Arctic is under increasing environmental pressure from anthropogenic activity and global warming. The unique microbial diversity of Arctic regions, that has a critical role in biogeochemical cycling and in the production of greenhouse gases, will be directly affected by and affect, global changes. This article reviews current knowledge and understanding of microbial taxonomic and functional diversity in Arctic soils, the contributions of microbial diversity to ecosystem processes and their responses to environmental change.
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK. Electronic address: aimeric.blaud@gmail.com.
Aimeric
A
Blaud
Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Université Paris-Est Créteil, 94010 Créteil Cedex, France.
Thomas Z
TZ
Lerch
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
Gareth K
GK
Phoenix
Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK; School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, PO Box 77, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia.
A Mark
AM
Osborn
D001110:Arctic Regions; D044822:Biodiversity; D002244:Carbon; D017753:Ecosystem; D005740:Gases; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D005740:Gases; D002244:Carbon
Carbon cycling; Global change; Microbial functional diversity; Nitrogen cycling; Permafrost; Soil active layer