The utility of macroecological rules for microbial biogeography

Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

Authors

  • Jonathan R. Dickey
  • Rachel A. Swenie
  • Sophia Turner
  • Claire C. Winfrey
  • Daniela Yaffar
  • Anchal Padukone
  • Kendall K. Beals
  • Kimberly S. Sheldon
  • Stephanie N. Kivlin
Macroecological rules have been developed for plants and animals that describe large-scale distributional patterns and attempt to explain the underlying physiological and ecological processes behind them. Similarly, microorganisms exhibit patterns in relative abundance, distribution, diversity, and traits across space and time, yet it remains unclear the extent to which microorganisms follow macroecological rules initially developed for macroorganisms. Additionally, the usefulness of these rules as a null hypothesis when surveying microorganisms has yet to be fully evaluated. With rapid advancements in sequencing technology, we have seen a recent increase in microbial studies that utilize macroecological frameworks. Here, we review and synthesize these macroecological microbial studies with two main objectives: (1) to determine to what extent macroecological rules explain the distribution of host-associated and free-living microorganisms, and (2) to understand which environmental factors and stochastic processes may explain these patterns among microbial clades (archaea, bacteria, fungi, and protists) and habitats (host-associated and free living; terrestrial and aquatic). Overall, 78% of microbial macroecology studies focused on free living, aquatic organisms. In addition, most studies examined macroecological rules at the community level with only 35% of studies surveying organismal patterns across space. At the community level microorganisms often tracked patterns of macroorganisms for island biogeography (74% confirm) but rarely followed Latitudinal Diversity Gradients (LDGs) of macroorganisms (only 32% confirm). However, when microorganisms and macroorganisms shared the same macroecological patterns, underlying environmental drivers (e.g., temperature) were the same. Because we found a lack of studies for many microbial groups and habitats, we conclude our review by outlining several outstanding questions and creating recommendations for future studies in microbial ecology.
Original languageEnglish
Article number633155
JournalFrontiers in Ecology and Evolution
Volume9
Number of pages21
ISSN2296-701X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.04.2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Dickey, Swenie, Turner, Winfrey, Yaffar, Padukone, Beals, Sheldon and Kivlin.

    Research areas

  • Ecosystems Research - microorganisms, Rapoport's rule, abundance/occupancy, Bergmann's rule, Theory of Island Biogeography, Species-Area Relationship, latitudinal diversity gradient, macroecology

DOI

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