Investigating the eco-evolutionary response of microbiomes to environmental change

Microorganisms are the primary engines of biogeochemical processes and foundational to the provisioning of ecosystem services to human society. Free-living microbial communities (microbiomes) and their functioning are now known to be highly sensitive to environmental change. Given microorganisms' capacity for rapid evolution, evolutionary processes could play a role in this response. Currently, however, few models of biogeochemical processes explicitly consider how microbial evolution will affect biogeochemical responses to environmental change. Here, we propose a conceptual framework for explicitly integrating evolution into microbiome-functioning relationships. We consider how microbiomes respond simultaneously to environmental change via four interrelated processes that affect overall microbiome functioning (physiological acclimation, demography, dispersal and evolution). Recent evidence in both the laboratory and the field suggests that ecological and evolutionary dynamics occur simultaneously within microbiomes; however, the implications for biogeochemistry under environmental change will depend on the timescales over which these processes contribute to a microbiome's response. Over the long term, evolution may play an increasingly important role for microbially driven biogeochemical responses to environmental change, particularly to conditions without recent historical precedent.

Automated summary

Microorganisms are crucial for biogeochemical processes and ecosystem services, but their functioning is highly sensitive to environmental change. Evolutionary processes could play a role in this response, yet few models consider how microbial evolution affects biogeochemical responses. We propose a framework that integrates evolution into microbiome-functioning relationships, considering four interrelated processes (physiological acclimation, demography, dispersal, and evolution). Recent evidence suggests that ecological and evolutionary dynamics occur simultaneously within microbiomes, but the implications for biogeochemistry under environmental change depend on timescales. Over the long term, evolution may play an increasingly important role in microbially driven biogeochemical responses to unprecedented conditions.