Premium
Towards an integrative understanding of soil biodiversity
Author(s) -
Thakur Madhav P.,
Phillips Helen R. P.,
Brose Ulrich,
De Vries Franciska T.,
Lavelle Patrick,
Loreau Michel,
Mathieu Jerome,
Mulder Christian,
Van der Putten Wim H.,
Rillig Matthias C.,
Wardle David A.,
Bach Elizabeth M.,
Bartz Marie L. C.,
Bennett Joanne M.,
Briones Maria J. I.,
Brown George,
Decaëns Thibaud,
Eisenhauer Nico,
Ferlian Olga,
Guerra Carlos António,
KönigRies Birgitta,
Orgiazzi Alberto,
Ramirez Kelly S.,
Russell David J.,
Rutgers Michiel,
Wall Diana H.,
Cameron Erin K.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
biological reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.993
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1469-185X
pISSN - 1464-7931
DOI - 10.1111/brv.12567
Subject(s) - biodiversity , metacommunity , ecology , aquatic biodiversity research , soil biodiversity , measurement of biodiversity , environmental science , geography , environmental resource management , biology , biodiversity conservation , soil fertility , soil water , biological dispersal , sociology , population , demography
Soil is one of the most biodiverse terrestrial habitats. Yet, we lack an integrative conceptual framework for understanding the patterns and mechanisms driving soil biodiversity. One of the underlying reasons for our poor understanding of soil biodiversity patterns relates to whether key biodiversity theories (historically developed for aboveground and aquatic organisms) are applicable to patterns of soil biodiversity. Here, we present a systematic literature review to investigate whether and how key biodiversity theories (species–energy relationship, theory of island biogeography, metacommunity theory, niche theory and neutral theory) can explain observed patterns of soil biodiversity. We then discuss two spatial compartments nested within soil at which biodiversity theories can be applied to acknowledge the scale‐dependent nature of soil biodiversity.