Illustrates the contribution of belowground biota to the overall stability of an ecosystem, with particular reference to microbial communities

Enriches understanding of the plethora of functions performed by soil organisms and how these can be utilized to maintain delivery of ecosystem services

Covers some of the latest thinking and methodological developments in the study of organisms inhabiting soils in tree dominated ecosystems

Inhalt

1. Introduction: the role of soil biodiversity in ecosystem productivity and resilience.- 2 Ecosystem services provided by soil microorganisms.- 3. Comparison of two molecular methods to assess soil microbial diversity.- 4. Towards integrated understanding of the rhizosphere phenomenon as ecological driver: can rhizoculture improve agricultural and forestry systems?.- 5. Impact of agricultural land management on soil bacterial community: a case study in the Mediterranean area.- 6. A metagenomic study on the effect of aboveground plant cover on soil bacterial diversity.- 7. What lies beneath: root-associated bacteria to improve the growth and health of olive trees.- 8. Norway spruce fine roots and fungal hyphae grow deeper in forest soils after extended drought.- 9. Ectomycorrhizal diversity in beech dominated stands in central Europe.- 10. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities pushed over the edge lessons from extreme ecosystems.- 11. An intact soil core bioassay for cultivating forest ectomycorrhizal fungal communities.- 12.Potential role of beneficial soil microorganisms in plant tolerance to abiotic stress.- 13.Microbial communities, functional genes, and nitrogen cycling processes as affected by tree species.- 14. Ectomycorrhizal fungal responses to forest liming and wood ash addition: review and meta-analysis.- 15. -glucosidase activity of forest soil as an indicator of soil carbon accumulation.- 16. Linking ecosystem variability and carbon sequestration: estimation of sequestered carbon in natural forests and perennial crops- 17. Bioactive peptaibols of forest-derived trichoderma isolates from section Longibrachiatum.- 18. Plant-assisted bioremediation: an ecological approach for recovering multi-contaminated areas.- 19. Bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil as affected by microorganisms and plants.- 20. Soil biodiversity and tree crops resilience