An Interpretation, Survey, and Outlook on Microbial Macroecology

The construction of a predictive theory of the dynamics and structure of microbial communities requires the identification of repeatable, robust empirical patterns. The investigation of such patterns in ecology has historically been the domain of the subdiscipline macroecology. However, the application of macroecology to microorganisms is not straightforward, as we lack an understanding of how microbial macroecology stems from the original principles of macroecology, how empirical patterns relate to ecological processes, and the overall goal(s) of microbial macroecology. In this Perspective, I provide non-definitive answers to these questions. I begin with an interpretation of microbial macroecology by mapping the specificities of research in the microbial life sciences onto prominent macroecological themes. The bulk of the remaining manuscript is then dedicated to a survey of common microbial macroecological patterns. First, universal patterns that hold regardless of data type come into focus before proceeding to patterns that reflect temporal dynamics. Efforts to obtain a minimal, predictive model of ecological dynamics are highlighted throughout, a major goal of microbial macroecology. I conclude with an outlook on facets of microbial life that remain largely open to macroecological investigation for researchers from diverse backgrounds.