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Climate warming threatens soil microbial diversity

Well-replicated, ecologically realistic, long-term field experiments were conducted to test the effects of warming on soil microbial diversity. Warming significantly reduced the biodiversity of soil bacteria, fungi and protists by altering environmental selections and biotic interactions, potentially disrupting the functional processes of the soil ecosystem.

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Fig. 1: Effects of warming on different microbial taxa and associated environmental drivers.

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This is a summary of: Wu, L. et al. Reduction of microbial diversity in grassland soil is driven by long-term climate warming. Nat. Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01147-3 (2022).

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Climate warming threatens soil microbial diversity. Nat Microbiol 7, 935–936 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01151-7

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