Hide and Seek of Soil Microbes: Who Is Where with Whom and Why? (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9783036551494)

The question posed in the Special Issue, "Hide and Seek of Soil Microbes-Who is Where with Whom and Why?", can be considered as the central paradigm of soil microbial ecology. This book is aimed at opening a vivid discussion on i) the adequate experimental design for the representative study of soil ecosystems; ii) possibilities and limitations of observing microbial diversity; iii) possibilities and limitations of data analysis and their impact on ecological conclusions; iv) microbial spatial heterogeneity across different scales; and v) how to observe microbial niche partitioning and occupation in soil ecosystems, soil microbial communities, and their "function". In what sense can microbes, microbial communities and ecosystems have a function?