Mitigation of global climate change – control of greenhouse gas flux by microbes

Abstract

The role of microbes in ecosystems is generally underappreciated. In any ecosystem microbial biomass represents a large fraction of the macronutrients (C, N, P and S), microbial biochemical activity often dominates transformations of key compounds, and microbial behaviour and physiological activity influence translocation of chemical species. However, perhaps most importantly of all, their rapid growth rates give them a fast feedback response time. Microbes have a greater capacity to participate in ecological feedback mechanisms that contribute to homeostasis than other biological groups. All this means that microbes will be at the forefront of the global response to climate change. They will respond faster and at a larger scale than us. Our generation has the option of managing this global microbial response, either via strategies to adapt to climate change or via introduction of strategies to mitigate climate change.