Meysman Filip J R, Middelburg Jack J, Heip Carlo H R
Centre for Estuarine en Marine Ecology (CEME), The Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Korringaweg 7, 4401 NT Yerseke, The Netherlands.
Trends Ecol Evol. 2006 Dec;21(12):688-95. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2006.08.002. Epub 2006 Aug 9.
Bioturbation refers to the biological reworking of soils and sediments, and its importance for soil processes and geomorphology was first realised by Charles Darwin, who devoted his last scientific book to the subject. Here, we review some new insights into the evolutionary and ecological role of bioturbation that would have probably amazed Darwin. In modern ecological theory, bioturbation is now recognised as an archetypal example of 'ecosystem engineering', modifying geochemical gradients, redistributing food resources, viruses, bacteria, resting stages and eggs. From an evolutionary perspective, recent investigations provide evidence that bioturbation had a key role in the evolution of metazoan life at the end of the Precambrian Era.
生物扰动是指土壤和沉积物的生物改造作用，其对土壤过程和地貌学的重要性最早是由查尔斯·达尔文认识到的，他在自己的最后一本科学著作中专门探讨了这个主题。在此，我们回顾一些关于生物扰动的进化和生态作用的新见解，这些见解可能会让达尔文感到惊讶。在现代生态理论中，生物扰动现在被认为是“生态系统工程”的一个典型例子，它改变地球化学梯度，重新分配食物资源、病毒、细菌、休眠阶段和卵。从进化的角度来看，最近的研究提供了证据表明，生物扰动在前寒武纪末期后生动物生命的进化中起到了关键作用。
