Description
Book SynopsisMicrobial ecology is the study of interactions among microbes in natural environments and their roles in biogeochemical cycles, food web dynamics, and the evolution of life. Microbes are the most numerous organisms in the biosphere and mediate many critical reactions in elemental cycles and biogeochemical reactions. Because they are essential players in the carbon cycle and related processes, microbial ecology is a vital science for understanding the role of the biosphere in global warming and the response of natural ecosystems to climate change. This second edition has been fully revised, restructured, and updated while remaining concise and accessible. It discusses the major processes carried out by viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoa and other protists - the microbes - in freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. The focus is on biogeochemical processes, starting with primary production and the initial fixation of carbon into cellular biomass, before exploring how that carbon i
Table of ContentsPreface 1: Introduction 2: Elements, biochemicals, and structures of microbes 3: The physical-chemical environment of microbes 4: Community structure of microbes in natural environments 5: Genomes and meta-omics for microbes 6: Microbial primary production and phototrophy 7: Degradation of organic matter 8: Microbial growth, biomass production, and controls 9: Predation and protists 10: The ecology of viruses 11: Processes in anoxic environments 12: The nitrogen cycle 13: Introduction to geomicrobiology 14: Symbioses and microbes References Index
