Introduction

Abstract

There are several ways in which the work to be discussed in this book could be characterized. Studies that attempt to relate the characteristics of organisms to their ecology are best called physiological ecology and much of the work to be discussed in this book fits under this heading. Another major theme of this book is biogeochemistry, the study of chemical processes taking place in nature which are being carried out by living organisms. At one time, the whole body of work might have been called geobiology; indeed, the eminent Dutch scientist Baas-Becking once wrote a book with this title, which included the kinds of things I am going to discuss here. And finally, since much of the work deals with the structure, taxonomy, and biochemistry of microorganisms, it could (perhaps most aptly) be called general microbiology.