The distribution and function of microorganisms are of crucial importance for the flow of matter in the Earth's biogeochemical cycles. Effects of microbial communities on the carbon and nitrogen cycles are particularly important for producing climate gases such as CO2, CH4, or N2O. However, the biogeochemical cycles are reversely impacted by global climate change, for example by increasing temperature, increasing CO2 concentration, or changing soil humidity. However microbes may respond differently, by accelerating or by alleviating, human-caused climate change. Understanding of microbial ecology in the different ecosystems on Earth, such as soil, oceans, or inland waters, is essential for our ability to assess the importance of biogeochemical cycles-climate feedbacks. Unfortunately, microbial communities are extremely complex in structure and function and can be affected by climate and other global changes in many ways, which impedes our ability to draw reliable conclusions.
In Climate Change and Microbial Ecology, a broad range of renowned scientists reviews the most important hot-topics in the area of climate change and microbial ecology, thus providing a timely and authoritative overview of this increasingly important area. Individual chapters cover the various ecosystems on Earth as well as the different groups of microorganisms with respect to different cycles of matter. In addition, special chapters cover applied aspects, such as land-use and geoengineering.
This is an essential book for every microbial ecologist from the PhD student to the experienced scientist and is also recommended for everyone interested in the field of global climate change.
1. Impacts of Climate Change on Cyanobacteria in Aquatic Environments / Hans W. Paerl 5-22
2. Climate Change Effects on Planktonic Bacterial Communities in the Ocean: From Structure and Function to Long-term and Large Scale Observations / Ingrid Brettar, Manfred G. Höfle, Carla Pruzzo and Luigi Vezzulli 23-40
3. Protozoans and Global Climate Change in Aquatic Systems / Hartmut Arndt and Mar Monsonís Nomdedeu 41-52
4. Impact of Climate Change on Aquatic Hypho- and Terrestrial Macromycetes / Verónica Ferreira and Elena Voronina 53-72
5. Aquatic Viruses and Global Climate Change / Peter Peduzzi 73-82
6. Microbes in Aquatic Biofilms Under the Effect of Changing Climate / Anna M. Romaní, Stéphanie Boulêtreau, Verónica Díaz Villanueva, Frédéric Garabetian, Jürgen Marxsen, Helge Norf, Elisabeth Pohlon and Markus Weitere 83-96
7. Climate Change, Microbes, and Soil Carbon Cycling / Timothy H. Keitt, Colin Addis, Daniel Mitchell, Andria Salas and Christine V. Hawkes 97-112
8. Climate Change and Nitrogen Turnover in Soils and Aquatic Environments / Gero Benckiser, Jagdish K. Ladha and Franz Wiesler 113-136
9. Ecosystem Metabolism in River Networks and Global Climate Change / Vicenç Acuña, Rafael Marcé and Xisca Timoner 137-152
10. Microbes, Environmental Change and the Global Carbon Cycle / Hojeong Kang and Chris Freeman 153-166
11. Microbial Communities and Processes Under Climate and Land-use Change in the Tropics / Stephen A Wood, Krista McGuire and Jonathan E. Hickman 167-184
12. Options for Geoengineering the Climate via Microorganisms: A Peatland Case Study / Christian Dunn, Nathalie Fenner, Anil Shirsat and Chris Freeman 185-200
"nicely reviews important topics in environmental microbiology research related to the increasing trends of global climate change. Editor Marxsen does a great job [...] impressive short overview of a topic with likely broad student appeal"
– ASM: Small Things Considered
"written at a high scientific level the book is intended primarily for researchers in microbial ecology but will be useful also to those interested in the effects of global warming [...] provides a concise introduction [...] extensive bibliography."
– BioSpektrum
"The book is a comprehensive, timely and authoritative review on the increasingly important area of global climate change and microbial ecology. This volume will serve as an excellent resource for graduate students, microbial ecologists, climate scientists, policy makers and anyone who might be interested in the field of global climate change."
– Microbiology Today