Reinold Max, Wong Hon Lun, MacLeod Fraser I, Meltzer Julia, Thompson April, Burns Brendan P
School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia.
Australian Centre for Astrobiology; The University of New South Wales Sydney 2052, Australia.
Life (Basel). 2019 Sep 2;9(3):71. doi: 10.3390/life9030071.
The potential impact of climate change on eukaryotes, including humans, has been relatively well described. In contrast, the contribution and susceptibility of microorganisms to a changing climate have, until recently, received relatively less attention. In this review, the importance of microorganisms in the climate change discourse is highlighted. Microorganisms are responsible for approximately half of all primary production on earth, support all forms of macroscopic life whether directly or indirectly, and often persist in "extreme" environments where most other life are excluded. In short, microorganisms are the life support system of the biosphere and therefore must be included in decision making regarding climate change. Any effects climate change will have on microorganisms will inevitably impact higher eukaryotes and the activity of microbial communities in turn can contribute to or alleviate the severity of the changing climate. It is of vital importance that unique, fragile, microbial ecosystems are a focus of research efforts so that their resilience to extreme weather events and climate change are thoroughly understood and that conservation efforts can be implemented as a response. One such ecosystem under threat are the evolutionarily significant microbial mats and stromatolites, such as those present in Shark Bay, western Australia. Climate change models have suggested the duration and severity of extreme weather events in this region will increase, along with rising temperatures, sea levels, and ocean acidification. These changes could upset the delicate balance that fosters the development of microbial mats and stromatolites in Shark Bay. Thus, the challenges facing Shark Bay microbial communities will be presented here as a specific case study.
气候变化对包括人类在内的真核生物的潜在影响已得到较为充分的描述。相比之下，直到最近，微生物对气候变化的贡献和易感性相对较少受到关注。在本综述中，强调了微生物在气候变化讨论中的重要性。微生物负责地球上大约一半的初级生产，直接或间接地支持所有形式的宏观生命，并且常常存在于大多数其他生命无法生存的“极端”环境中。简而言之，微生物是生物圈的生命支持系统，因此必须纳入有关气候变化的决策中。气候变化对微生物产生的任何影响都将不可避免地影响高等真核生物，而微生物群落的活动反过来又会加剧或减轻气候变化的严重程度。至关重要的是，独特而脆弱的微生物生态系统应成为研究工作的重点，以便充分了解它们对极端天气事件和气候变化的恢复力，并能够实施保护措施作为应对。一个受到威胁的此类生态系统是具有进化意义的微生物席和叠层石，例如西澳大利亚鲨鱼湾存在的那些。气候变化模型表明，该地区极端天气事件的持续时间和严重程度将增加，同时气温上升、海平面上升和海洋酸化。这些变化可能会打破促进鲨鱼湾微生物席和叠层石发育的微妙平衡。因此，这里将以一个具体案例研究的形式介绍鲨鱼湾微生物群落面临的挑战。
