Caatinga Microbiome Initiative: disentangling the soil microbiome across areas under desertification and restoration in the Brazilian drylands

作者：Ademir Sérgio Ferreira de Araújo, Érika Valente de Medeiros, Diogo Paes da Costa, Lucas William Mendes, Maurício Roberto Cherubin, Francisco de Alcântara Neto, Raphael Moreira Beirigo, George Rodrigues Lambais, Vânia Maria Maciel Melo, Gabriel Nuto Nóbrega, Humberto Alves Barbosa, Jaedson Cláudio Anunciato Mota, Rodrigo M. Santana, Vanessa Nessner Kavamura, Wardsson Lustrino Borges, Arthur Prudêncio de Araújo Pereira · 发表于：Restoration Ecology · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1111/rec.14298 · 被引用次数：15 · 研究领域：Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics、Soil Management and Crop Yield、Polar Research and Ecology

The Caatinga biome in Brazil is renowned for its rich aboveground biodiversity. However, approximately 19% of this biome has experienced desertification, severely affecting the soil microbiome. Monitoring these microbial communities is essential to understanding the impacts of desertification and the potential outcomes of restoration efforts. The Caatinga Microbiome Initiative aims to assess the soil microbiome in areas undergoing desertification and those under restoration in the Brazilian drylands. This initiative seeks to explore the core microbial communities and their functions, including overlooked groups such as protists, nematodes, and viruses across native, desertified, and restored areas. We believe that two approaches should be used simultaneously in the study of microbiomes in areas undergoing desertification. First, the use of the soil microbiome as a bioindicator of soil quality in both desertified and restored lands. Second, the manipulation of the microbiome to facilitate soil restoration. By understanding soil microbiome responses to desertification and restoration, we can develop targeted restoration strategies to enhance biodiversity and promote functional recovery in desertified areas.