微生物性状揭示物种分布格局、群落构建机制和生态系统功能

微生物性状是指与其存活、生长和繁殖紧密相关的一系列核心属性,这些属性能够反映微生物对环境变化的响应,进而影响微生物的物种分布格局、群落构建机制以及相应的生态系统功能。越来越多的研究表明,相比于微生物分类学信息,微生物性状可以在种群、群落和生态系统尺度等视角扩展我们对微生物生态过程的理解,并提供生态模式的机理性解释。本文回顾微生物性状研究的发展历程,总结近年来基于微生物性状研究的前沿科学问题,比如微生物性状的分类和测定方法、基于性状的功能多样性定义及应用、性状与物种分布格局和群落构建机制的关系、性状对生物多样性和生态系统功能的影响以及对环境变化的响应等。尽管微生物性状研究已经延伸到生态学领域的各个方面,有力推动着各个前沿科学问题的研究发展,但是仍然面临很多机遇与挑战。因此,本文也从研究方法和研究方向等方面对未来基于微生物性状的研究提出了展望。

Microbial traits shed light on species distributions, assembly processes and ecosystem functions

Microbial traits are core attributes closely related to microbial survival, growth and reproduction. These attributes could reflect the microbial responses to environmental changes, and then affect species distributions, community assembly processes, and relevant ecosystem functions. There is a growing recognition that, compared to microbial taxonomic information, microbial traits could expand our understanding of microbial ecological processes and provide mechanistic explanations of ecological patterns at the scales of population, community and ecosystem. Here, we address important ecological themes based on microbial traits in recent years, including the classification and determination of microbial traits, functional diversity and applications, the relationship between microbial traits and species distribution and community assembly, the effects of microbial traits on biodiversity and ecosystem functions and the response of microbial traits to global change. Although previous studies on microbial traits have been extended to all aspects of ecology and promoted the research and development of various frontier scientific problems, there are still many opportunities and challenges. Thus, we also provide perspectives such as research methods and directions based on microbial traits.