- Email: [email protected]
RHIZOSPHERE 2 International Conference, Montpellier, August 2007
Soil Biology & Biochemistry 41 (2009) 1767
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Soil Biology & Biochemistry journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/soilbio
Editorial
RHIZOSPHERE 2 International Conference, Montpellier, August 2007
The rhizosphere represents one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth, however, understanding how it works remains central to the provision of many ecosystem services. Indeed, unraveling its complexity remains vital if we are to solve some of the world’s most impending environmental crises such as sustainable food, fibre, wood and energy production, mitigation against climate change, preservation of water quality and preventing further loss of biodiversity. At present, we posses a very fractured view of how the rhizosphere works which is severely limiting the translation of fundamental research into field practice and subsequently industry adoption. This complexity is driven by the interactions within a rhizosphere microbial community which contains thousands of species and which is highly dynamic in both space and time. Coupled with this are the many overlapping chemical and physical gradients in the rhizosphere which are equally dynamic and feedback directly and indirectly on the development of the soil microbial community. Added to this are abiotic and management factors which also strongly influence rhizosphere processes. Therefore almost every root on the planet can be expected to have a unique chemical, physical and biological rhizosphere fingerprint. Despite its intrinsic complexity,
0038-0717/$ – see front matter Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.07.014
however, we are continually challenged with trying to harness its potential to help develop sustainable societies. A critical part of this process is the bringing together of scientists from a disparate array of fields but which all possess a rhizosphere focus (e.g. from microbial ecology, soil science, plant physiology, human health, hydrology, environmental pollution etc.). Following the success of RHIZOSPHERE 1 in Munich, 2004, Philippe Hinsinger organized RHIZOSPHERE 2 International Conference which was held in Montpellier in 2007. This conference gathered together 570 scientist from around the world and this special issue gathers a selection of papers presented in the various sessions of the conference. Looking to the future, we greatly anticipate the start of the next conference, RHIZOSPHERE 3, to be organized by Hans Lambers in Perth, Australia in September 2011. Davey L. Jones School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK E-mail address: [email protected] Available online 22 July 2009
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Soil Biology & Biochemistry journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/soilbio
Editorial
RHIZOSPHERE 2 International Conference, Montpellier, August 2007
The rhizosphere represents one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth, however, understanding how it works remains central to the provision of many ecosystem services. Indeed, unraveling its complexity remains vital if we are to solve some of the world’s most impending environmental crises such as sustainable food, fibre, wood and energy production, mitigation against climate change, preservation of water quality and preventing further loss of biodiversity. At present, we posses a very fractured view of how the rhizosphere works which is severely limiting the translation of fundamental research into field practice and subsequently industry adoption. This complexity is driven by the interactions within a rhizosphere microbial community which contains thousands of species and which is highly dynamic in both space and time. Coupled with this are the many overlapping chemical and physical gradients in the rhizosphere which are equally dynamic and feedback directly and indirectly on the development of the soil microbial community. Added to this are abiotic and management factors which also strongly influence rhizosphere processes. Therefore almost every root on the planet can be expected to have a unique chemical, physical and biological rhizosphere fingerprint. Despite its intrinsic complexity,
0038-0717/$ – see front matter Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.07.014
however, we are continually challenged with trying to harness its potential to help develop sustainable societies. A critical part of this process is the bringing together of scientists from a disparate array of fields but which all possess a rhizosphere focus (e.g. from microbial ecology, soil science, plant physiology, human health, hydrology, environmental pollution etc.). Following the success of RHIZOSPHERE 1 in Munich, 2004, Philippe Hinsinger organized RHIZOSPHERE 2 International Conference which was held in Montpellier in 2007. This conference gathered together 570 scientist from around the world and this special issue gathers a selection of papers presented in the various sessions of the conference. Looking to the future, we greatly anticipate the start of the next conference, RHIZOSPHERE 3, to be organized by Hans Lambers in Perth, Australia in September 2011. Davey L. Jones School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK E-mail address: [email protected] Available online 22 July 2009