Just like earthworms, many microscopic organisms also play an important role in soil biodiversity. Credit: Kokhanchikov/ Getty Images
A survey of city parks and gardens in municipal areas across six continents shows that soil-inhabiting microorganisms support multiple ecosystem functions1.
It reveals that bacteria, fungi and invertebrates contribute to key ecosystem functions, including organic matter decomposition, plant productivity, nutrient cycling, water regulation and pathogen control. These microbially driven functions are critical for sustaining urban ecosystems and citizens’ wellbeing, says an international research team.
A study in Berlin, Germany, suggested that various plants improved soil in parks and lawns by changing the diversity of microorganisms. But how these microorganisms influenced ecosystem functions in urban greenspaces remained unclear.
To better understand this, scientists investigated the relationship of plant and soil biodiversity in 56 municipalities across six continents. They collected top soil samples from parks and gardens, and sequenced the genes of soil microorganisms.
The team, which included a researcher at the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, found that the diversity of microscopic worms and spiders was positively correlated with microbially driven carbon pools, organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Worms and tardigrades, a type of eight-legged micro-animal, contributed to plant-soil mutualism and plant productivity.
The researchers also detected relative abundance of key microbial genes with roles in methane gas emissions, nitrogen and sulphur cycling, and phosphorous mineralisation.
