What is it about?
We report evidence that microbes are trophically equivalent to animals. When bacteria or fungi are fed the same diets as animals, the microbes register the same trophic position as animals. To demonstrate the broad applicability of our approach, we investigated the ancient symbioses represented by leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens, revealing four discrete trophic levels within this community and providing evidence that fungi, not ants, are the dominant herbivores of the Neotropics. Altogether, we show that microbes can be integrated with plants and animals in a food chain, thereby unifying the macro- and microbiome in studies of trophic ecology.
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Why is it important?
This discovery re-frames how microbes can be viewed within food chains and facilitates the inclusion of the microbiome in functional diversity studies.
Perspectives
This work provides a basis to more accurately interpret the role(s) of the microbiome in food-web ecology. In particular, these findings help to unify the macro- and microbiomes in both 'green' and 'brown' food-webs.
Dr Shawn A. Steffan
University of Wisconsin System
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Microbes are trophic analogs of animals, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, November 2015, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1508782112.
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