Soil microbial processes
Soil microbes are extremely diverse and regulate key processes for ecosystem functioning that are essential for ecosystem health and resilience.
Through their dependence on carbon compounds for energy, they regulate the decomposition and stabilisation of soil organic matter and largely contribute to nutrient cycling and plant productivity. Many soil micro-organisms are tightly associated with (living) plants and have enormous impact on plant health due to their broad range of lifestyles that range from plant mutualists to plant parasites.