Unlike plant communities, little is known about how the diversity and biomass of soil microbial communities are interlinked

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the abstract and stated research gap and stated challenges and future-work section of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2019 and 2026, spanning 6 journals. Those papers have been cited 78 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• Spatial patterns of soil multifunctionality trade-offs and their relationships with microbial diversity in warm-temperate mountain forests of North China (2026) · Frontiers in Forests and Global Change · doi

  Introduction Soil ecological function (SEF) trade-offs are central to terrestrial ecosystem sustainability, yet their spatial patterns and relationships with microbial diversity in natural warm-temperate mountain forests remain poorly understood.

  generalabstractevidence 5/5
  Keywords: introduction soil ecological function trade offs central terrestrial ecosystem sustainability spatial patterns relationships microbial diversity
• Comparison of microbial diversity and community structure in soils managed with organic and chemical fertilization strategies using amplicon sequencing of 16 s and ITS regions (2025) · Frontiers in Microbiology · cited 20× · doi

  The study identifies a gap in the understanding of how chemical and organic management practices affect soil microbial diversity and community structure. There is a need to examine the effects of different soil management practices on soil microbial communities. The paper does not explicitly state the research gap, but it appears to be the lack of knowledge on the impact of organic and chemical fertilization strategies on soil microbial diversity.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: study identifies gap understanding chemical organic management practices
• Soil Properties Regulate Soil Microbial Communities During Forest Succession in a Karst Region of Southwest China (2024) · Microorganisms · cited 14× · doi

  The complexity of soil microbial communities and their interactions with environmental factors. The need to consider multiple factors, including soil properties, vegetation, and microbial biomass, in understanding soil microbial community dynamics. The challenge of scaling up findings from a specific study area to broader ecological restoration efforts.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: complexity soil microbial communities interactions environmental factors need
• Environmental Effects on Bacterial Community Assembly in Arid and Semi-Arid Grasslands (2025) · Microorganisms · cited 6× · doi

  The paper does not explicitly state the challenges it faced, but it can be inferred that one of the challenges is the complexity of studying microbial community assemblies. Another challenge is the need to quantify the relative importance of distinct ecological processes in soil bacterial community assembly. The researchers may have faced challenges in analyzing the large amounts of data generated by high-throughput sequencing techniques.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: paper does explicitly state challenges faced inferred one
• Rising awareness to improve conservation of microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems: advances and future directions in soil microbial diversity from Chile and the Antarctic Peninsula (2024) · Frontiers in Environmental Science · cited 4× · doi

  The underrepresentation of the Global South in ecological studies has been suggested as an important gap that could compromise global solutions to conservation and the current biodiversity and climate crisis. The southwest of South America, which includes Chile, runs behind the rest of the continent on studies related to soil microbial diversity and ecosystem functions.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: underrepresentation global south ecological studies has been suggested
• The effects of global change on soil faunal communities: a meta-analytic approach (2019) · Research Ideas and Outcomes · cited 14× · doi

  This project aims to fill the current gaps in the literature, and actively participate in incorporating soil biodiversity into future global biodiversity assessments, by creating the first global open-acess dataset on the impacts of multiple global change drivers on soil fauna.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: global soil biodiversity project aims fill current gaps literature actively participate incorporating future assessments creating
• Variations in soil microbial communities in different saline soils under typical Populus spp. vegetation in alpine region of the Qaidam Basin, NW China (2024) · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · cited 16× · doi

  Microorganisms have an important influence on regulating the biochemical cycles of ecosystems; however, systematic research exploring microbial diversity and interactions with saline-soil ecosystems’ environmental variables remains scarce.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: ecosystems microorganisms important influence regulating biochemical cycles systematic exploring microbial diversity interactions saline soil environmental
• Rising awareness to improve conservation of microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems: advances and future directions in soil microbial diversity from Chile and the Antarctic Peninsula (2024) · Frontiers in Environmental Science · cited 4× · doi

  Further research is needed to study soil microbial diversity in underrepresented regions, - The use of omics techniques should be increased to better understand soil microbial diversity, - The study of extremophilic microorganisms and their potential biotechnological applications should be continued, - More research is needed to understand the spatial heterogeneity of soil microbial diversity across Chile

  generalfuture-work sectionevidence 4/5
  Keywords: further research needed study soil microbial diversity underrepresented

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