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The Role of Microbial Communities in Soil Formation and Soil Ecosystem Health

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Abstract

The concept of the microbial community (MC) current at the time of writing, its structure, and the theories that reflect and generalize the progress in MC research are considered. Contemporary knowledge is used as the basis to discuss the role and functions of microbial communities in the emergence and maintenance of what is traditionally referred to by the brief and capacious term “soil”, even though soil is essentially a product of the interaction of diverse biological communities and materials, and is a substance of infinite complexity and diversity, which can be regarded as an ecosystem; namely, the soil ecosystem (SE). A novel concept of soil health (SH), which integrates current knowledge of MCs and their functions, and can be used to understand their role in the soil ecosystem, is discussed. Methods for assessment of soil health parameters are briefly presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

    A. M. Semenov

  2. All-Russian Phytopathology Research Institute, Bol’shie Vyazemy, Moscow oblast, Russia

    A. M. Semenov

  3. Kragujevac University, Chachak, Serbia

    D. A. Đukić

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  1. A. M. Semenov
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  2. D. A. Đukić
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Correspondence to A. M. Semenov or D. A. Đukić.

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Translated by S. Semenova

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Semenov, A.M., Đukić, D.A. The Role of Microbial Communities in Soil Formation and Soil Ecosystem Health. Paleontol. J. 54, 843–852 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030120080146

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