Chapter 5 - Soil biological processes of mountainous landscapes: a holistic view

Abstract

In terms of topography, climate, soil development, vegetation structure, and microbial population, mountainous regions are extremely diverse. Mountain ecosystems are important for research because they are the first to be affected by climate change. As a result, research studies involving large amounts of data with fine spatial resolution are required for studying biological processes in such harsh and diverse environments. Because of differences in steepness, elevation, and exposure, mountain soils are highly diverse and can vary within a small area. They are also known for being shallow, skeletal, acidic, infertile, and poorly developed. As a result, mountain landscapes are not considered productive environments for vegetation growth and biomass production. Bacteria and fungi make up the majority of soil microbial biomass. The biological processes of the soil determine the release of carbon locked in plants and soil. The microbial community in the mountainous ecosystem plays an important role in soil development and biogeochemical cycles, which affect plant establishment, growth, and survival. Microbial diversity and activity in such environments are heavily influenced by climatic factors. Understanding the microbial dynamics and microbial ecology of mountains will aid in understanding the biogeochemical cycle patterns as they change as a result of climate change. This chapter investigates microbial diversity, structure, and function, as well as how they change in response to altitudinal gradients and other topographic features. In addition, the use of next-generation sequencing approaches such as metagenome and metatranscriptome sequencing to identify the microbial identity, community structures, and function of mountainous environments will be discussed. Learning about the high microbial diversity of mountainous soils may increase the likelihood of discovering a novel microbial resource for biotechnological purposes.