Abstract
Global changes in the use of soil and the impacts of this use are generating perturbations that need to be fully described to assist in the rebuilding and maintenance of ecosystems. Since microorganisms govern biogeochemical processes in soils, microbial populations and their responses to stress are considered very sensitive and useful indicators of soil quality. Microbial diversity represents an important indicator of soil quality because microorganisms are at the base of the trophic chain and are directly involved in nutrient cycling the soil. The majority of microorganisms cannot be cultivated using available methods; thus, developments in techniques based on molecular biology are providing rapid and reliable tools to characterize microbial community structures and monitor their dynamics in situ. This chapter will discuss the use of microbial community profiling by molecular and conventional tools to monitor changes in Brazilian soils. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Microbial Ecology of Tropical Soils |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Pages | 61-69 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781617285059 |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2011 |
| Externally published | Yes |