Microbial functional diversity and redundancy: moving forward

Microbial functional ecology is expanding as we can now measure the traits of wild microbes that affect ecosystem functioning. Here, we review techniques and advances that could be the bedrock for a unified framework to study microbial functions. We then explore the technical, ecological, and evolutionary processes that could explain environmental patterns of microbial functional diversity and redundancy. Next, we suggest reconciling microbiology with biodiversity-ecosystem-functioning studies by testing the significance of microbial functional diversity and redundancy for the efficiency, resistance, and resilience of ecosystem processes. A better understanding of how microbiomes affect ecosystems is crucial to predicting their functioning in a changing planet.