Ecology and Global Impacts of Viruses

Abstract

Viruses are important members of diverse microbial communities with direct and indirect impacts on their hosts, other biota, and biogeochemistry. The field of viral ecology seeks to understand viruses as members of ecosystems, including characterizing viral diversity and unraveling viral interactions with other organisms and the environment. This article explores viruses as members of microbial communities, introducing the terminology and methods used to study viral communities, the hosts that these viruses can infect, viral replication strategies, and the impacts of viruses on biota and the environment.