Plant biodiversity promotes soil microbial communities and sustainable agriculture

Article: Plant biodiversity promotes sustainable agriculture directly and via belowground effects

Authors: Cappelli, Seraina et al.

Publication: Trends in Plant Science

Year: 2022

Plant diveristy is known to have a positive effect on the functioning of ecosystems. However, it is unclear how much of the effects are due to soil microbes.

This article gives an overview of the current state of knowledge about the relationships between plant diversity, soil microbiota, and ecosystem functioning. The authors state that plant diversity increases microbial diversity – and that both above- and belowground biodiversity can help to enhance and maintain the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems.

There are still knowledge gaps regarding the interaction between plants and soil microbes in different environments, as well as how agricultural practices affect the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.