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Improving the assessment of ecosystem and wildlife health: microbiome as an early indicator
Summary
Researchers reviewed evidence that the microbiome — the community of microorganisms living in environments and within animals — can serve as an early warning system for ecosystem disturbance, rapidly reflecting the impact of human activities before other signs of harm are visible.
Human activities are causing dramatic declines in ecosystem health, compromising the functioning of the life-support system, economic activity, and animal and human health. In this context, monitoring the health of ecosystems and wildlife populations is crucial for determining ecological dynamics and assessing management interventions. A growing body of evidence indicates that microbiome provides a meaningful early indicator of ecosystem and wildlife health. Microbiome is ubiquitous and both environmental and host-associated microbiomes rapidly reflect anthropogenic disturbances. However, we still need to overcome current limitations such as nucleic acid degradation, sequencing depth, and the establishment of baseline data to maximize the potential of microbiome studies.
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