India, Aug. 19 -- Microbial ecology (the study of how tiny microbes interact with each other and their environment) underpins the health of every ecosystem on Earth. The microbes living in soil recycle nutrients, support plant growth and help ecosystems respond to environmental change. In this explainer, microbial ecologist Marc Van Goethem tells us why microbes are critical to human life. They can also provide an early warning if Africa's drylands are approaching ecological tipping points, offering new ways to monitor and protect vulnerable landscapes.

What is microbial ecology, and why is it an important field of research?

Microbial ecology is the study of how microorganisms, like bacteria, fungi and the viruses that infect them, inte...