Microbial ecology · 2024
When the Same Microbiome Has Multiple Futures
Some microbial systems may show alternative stable community states, complicating simple stories of disturbance and recovery.
Microbial communities can respond differently to similar disturbances because of ecological interactions, initial conditions and historical contingency. Alternative community states may be stable under some conditions.
Researchers must test whether apparent alternative states are reproducible and functionally distinct, rather than artifacts of sampling or analytical choices.
AI-assisted preliminary overview · Awaiting editorial review. The linked materials are research leads; some citations remain to be checked against the original works.