An Interpretation, Survey, and Outlook of Microbial Macroecology

The construction of a predictive theory of the dynamics and structure of microbial communities requires the consideration of repeatable, robust empirical patterns. The investigation of such patterns in ecology has historically been the domain of the subdiscipline of macroecology. However, the application of macroecology to microorganisms is not straightforward, as there is not a unified view of the subdiscipline. In this Perspective, I start with an interpretation of microbial macroecology by mapping the specificities of research in the microbial life sciences to prominent themes of macroecology. The bulk of the remaining manuscript is then dedicated to a survey of common microbial macroecological patterns. I begin with a focus on universal patterns that hold regardless of data type before proceeding to identify patterns that reflect temporal dynamics, a major goal being the establishment of a minimal, predictive model of ecological dynamics. I conclude with an outlook on the facets of microbial life that remain largely open to macroecological investigation. This Perspective is intended for a range of researchers in the microbial life sciences, both to experimentalists and theorists as well as those from disparate backgrounds.