Soil microorganisms shape global element cycles in life and death. In this Review, Sokol and colleagues explore how the biogeochemical cycling of organic matter depends on both living and dead soil microorganisms, their functional traits, and their interactions with the soil matrix and other organisms. They also discuss incorporating microbial life and death into trait-based models that predict soil biogeochemical dynamics.
- Noah W. Sokol
- Eric Slessarev
- Jennifer Pett-Ridge
