Abstract
The challenge of moving beyond descriptions of microbial community composition to the point where understanding underlying eco-evolutionary dynamics emerges is daunting. While it is tempting to simplify through use of model communities composed of a small number of types, there is a risk that such strategies fail to capture processes that might be specific and intrinsic to complexity of the community itself. Here, we describe approaches that embrace this complexity and show that, in combination with metagenomic strategies, dynamical insight is increasingly possible. Arising from these studies is mounting evidence of rapid eco-evolutionary change among lineages and a sense that processes, particularly those mediated by horizontal gene transfer, not only are integral to system function, but are central to long-term persistence. That such dynamic, systems-level insight is now possible, means that the study and manipulation of microbial communities can move to new levels of inquiry.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Conceptual challenges in microbial community ecology’.
Highlights
No matter one’s perspective, microbial communities are mind-bogglingly complex [1,2,3]
What is the dynamic of this process? Over what spatial and temporal scales should the effects be measured? How can the effects even be measured? Does evolution matter, or is it all just ecology? How does the field move beyond description of types to the point where insight emerges into the feedback between ecological and evolutionary process—ideally with links to function? How do we even decide what matters? Is it conceivable that community function is shaped by processes that are intrinsic to community complexity?
Answers to most of these questions are apparent and we do not wish to downplay the enormous advances that have come from the ability to describe community composition [13,14], or from the use of simplified model communities composed of representative types [12,15,16], including interactions [17,18], but here we aim to advocate thinking about communities as dynamic systems
Summary
No matter one’s perspective, microbial communities are mind-bogglingly complex [1,2,3]. Answers to most of these questions are apparent and we do not wish to downplay the enormous advances that have come from the ability to describe community composition [13,14], or from the use of simplified model communities composed of representative types [12,15,16], including interactions [17,18], but here we aim to advocate thinking about communities as dynamic systems Such a view places emphasis on process, on the connection between process and function, and on the connection between process and. Simplification, for example through use of synthetic or model communities—typically such a powerful way of doing science—may fail to capture community-level processes
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