Functional and structural biodiversity

Research in Costa Rica and Mexico investigated the biodiversity of tropical soils and the evolution of recently deglaciated soils, respectively. Other studies focused on the characterization of microbial communities in cold soils (see section on psychrophiles). The microbiota of soil animals (Diplopoda, Lumbricidae) and the surrounding soil were analysed to understand the decomposition gap and C pools/fluxes occurring after land-use change in alpine pastures. Methodological innovations like soil volatilomics and a criticism of community level physiological profilingalter the views on soil functional traits.