Safeguarding microbial biodiversity: microbial conservation specialist group within the species survival commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature

作者：Jack A. Gilbert, Amber Hartman Scholz, Maria Gloria Domínguez-Bello, Lisé Korsten, Gabriele Berg, Brajesh K. Singh, Antje Boëtius, Fengping Wang, Chris Greening, Kelly Wrighton, Seth R. Bordenstein, Janet Jansson, Jay T. Lennon, Valeria Souza, Sarah M. Allard, Torsten Thomas, Don A. Cowan, Thomas W. Crowther, Nguyen Nguyen, Lucy Harper, Louis‐Patrick Haraoui, Suzanne L. Ishaq, Margaret McFall‐Ngai, Kent H. Redford, Raquel S. Peixoto · 发表于：FEMS Microbiology Ecology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1093/femsec/fiaf107 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Polar Research and Ecology、Alexander von Humboldt Studies、Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology

Microorganisms—including microscopic single-cell and multicellular life—form the biological foundation of life on Earth. They regulate biogeochemical cycles, control climate-relevant gas fluxes, and underpin the health of all multicellular organisms (Cavicchioli et al. 2019, Lennon et al. 2023, 2024, Peixoto, 2024a) (Fig. 1A and B). Microbial communities drive key functions such as carbon sequestration, nitrogen fixation, gas cycling, soil fertility, marine productivity, and host digestion and immunity, making them indispensable to ecosystems, economies, and public health (Crowther et al. 2024) (Fig. 1B). Despite their crucial roles, microbes and their impacts on visible life remain critically underrepresented in conservation science and policy (Redford 2023). Global conservation frameworks, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), have focused overwhelmingly on visible macroscopic taxa, neglecting microbial diversity (except the recent inclusion of a fungal SSC) despite mounting evidence of its vulnerability (Redford et al. 2012, Sonnenburg and Sonnenburg 2019b, Chiarello et al. 2020, Averill et al. 2022, Peixoto et al. 2024b, Zucconi et al. 2025, Battin et al. 2025) and importance for global conservation action (West et al. 2019, Trevelline et al. 2019, Crowther et al. 2024). Similarly, major health frameworks such as One Health (One Health Joint Plan of Action 2022–2...