Open AccessExamining assumptions of soil microbial ecology in the monitoring of ecological restoration
Author(s) -
Hart Miranda M.,
Cross Adam T.,
D'Agui Haylee M.,
Dixon Kingsley W.,
Van der Heyde Mieke,
Mickan Bede,
Horst Christina,
Grez Benjamin Moreira,
Valliere Justin M.,
Rossel Raphael Viscarra,
Whiteley Andrew,
Wong Wei San,
Zhong Hongtao,
Nevill Paul
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ecological solutions and evidence
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2688-8319
DOI - 10.1002/2688-8319.12031
Subject(s) - restoration ecology , ecology , environmental science , environmental dna , benchmark (surveying) , environmental resource management , microbial population biology , geography , biology , biodiversity , cartography , genetics , bacteria
1. Global interest in building healthy soils combined with new DNA sequencing technologies has led to the generation of a vast amount of soil microbial community (SMC) data. 2. SMC analysis is being adopted widely for monitoring ecological restoration trajectories. However, despite the large and growing quantity of soil microbial data, it remains unclear how these data inform and best guide restoration practice. 3. Here, we examine assumptions around SMC as a tool for guiding ecosystem restoration and evaluate the effectiveness of using species inventories of SMC as a benchmark for restoration success. 4. We investigate other approaches of assessing soil health, and conclude that we can significantly enhance the utility of species inventory data for ecological restoration by complementing it with the use of non‐molecular approaches.