Belowground organisms play critical roles in maintaining multiple ecosystem processes, including plant productivity, decomposition, and nutrient cycling. Together with an international team of researchers Sigrid Neuhauser and Martin Kirchmair investigated the microbial composition of soils worldwide. Surprising result: The diversity of living organisms in the soil is not necessarily related to the diversity of plants growing on it.

Read the summary of this project here [german]:

https://www.uibk.ac.at/newsroom/biodiversitaet-neue-erkenntnisse-zum-mikrobiom-im-boden.html.de

Read the full publication here:

Changes in belowground biodiversity during ecosystem development