Understanding microbiota influence on soil microbiota

The authors highlight a gap in the understanding of how soil microbiota influence peatland functioning and the recovery of ecosystem services. They propose a phased approach to research: short-term characterization of microbial communities, medium-term definition of 'target' microbiomes for carbon cycle services, and long-term application of this knowledge to restoration practices. The paper emphasizes that multidisciplinary collaboration and genetic characterization are essential to meeting climate targets and ensuring cost-effective ecosystem service delivery.

• There is currently a deficiency in process-based knowledge regarding how soil microbiota affect peatland functioning and the resilience of ecosystem services when faced with climate change and land use perturbations.
• The authors propose a three-stage research trajectory: first, characterizing microbial communities and their links to ecological functions; second, defining 'target' microbiomes for carbon cycle services to create monitoring tools; and third, using these insights to guide restoration toward 'intact' status.
• Achieving these goals requires multidisciplinary collaboration between microbiologists, data scientists, peatland scientists, and the modelling community, leveraging rapid advances in genetic characterization.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2021). Understanding microbiota influence on soil microbiota. https://www.sei.org/publications/understanding-microbiota-influence-on-soil-microbiota/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Understanding microbiota influence on soil microbiota. 2021. https://www.sei.org/publications/understanding-microbiota-influence-on-soil-microbiota/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Understanding microbiota influence on soil microbiota |date=5 January 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/understanding-microbiota-influence-on-soil-microbiota/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2021understanding, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Understanding microbiota influence on soil microbiota}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/understanding-microbiota-influence-on-soil-microbiota/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }