Ecological strategies of microbes: Thinking outside the triangle

I asked whether Grime's triangle of competitive, stress tolerance and ruderal ecological strategies—which was originally developed for plants—applies to microbes. conducted a synthesis empirical studies that tested relationships among microbial traits presumed define the ruderal, other strategies. There broad support triangle. However, strategies were inconsistently linked shifts in communities under environmental changes like nitrogen phosphorus addition, warming, drought, etc. We may be missing important more closely influence community composition shifting conditions. need start by documenting response conditions at fine spatiotemporal scales relevant can then develop empirically based strategies, rather than modifying those on plant ecology. Synthesis. Microbes appear sort into similar as plants. these do not consistently predict how will shift change. By starting ‘from ground up’, we able delineate