Beyond the black box: Promoting mathematical collaborations for elucidating interactions in soil ecology

Authors

Alison E. Bennett, Ohio State University
Katharine Preedy, The James Hutton Institute
Antonio Golubski, Kennesaw State University
James Umbanhowar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Stuart R. Borrett, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Loren Byrne, Roger Williams University
Kent Apostol, Environmental Review, Inc.
James D. Bever, University of Kansas, Lawrence
Lori Biederman, Iowa State University
Aimée T. Classen, University of Vermont
Kim Cuddington, University of Waterloo
Marie Anne De Graaff, Boise State University
Karen A. Garrett, University of Florida
Lou Gross, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Alan Hastings, University of California, Davis
Jason D. Hoeksema, University of Mississippi
Volodymyr Hrynkiv, University of Houston-Downtown
Justine Karst, University of Alberta
Miro Kummel, Colorado College
Charlotte T. Lee, Duke University
Chao Liang, Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology Chinese Academy of Sciences
Wei Liao, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Keenan Mack, Illinois College
Laura Miller, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bonnie Ownley, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
Claudia Rojas, Universidad de O’Higgins
Ellen L. Simms, University of California, Berkeley
Vonda K. Walsh, Virginia Military Institute
Matthew Warren, United States Department of Agriculture
Jun Zhu, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-1-2019

Abstract

© 2019 The Authors. Understanding soil systems is critical because they form the structural and nutritional foundation for plants and thus every terrestrial habitat and agricultural system. In this paper, we encourage increased use of mathematical models to drive forward understanding of interactions in soil ecological systems. We discuss several distinctive features of soil ecosystems and empirical studies of them. We explore some perceptions that have previously deterred more extensive use of models in soil ecology and some advances that have already been made using models to elucidate soil ecological interactions. We provide examples where mathematical models have been used to test the plausibility of hypothesized mechanisms, to explore systems where experimental manipulations are currently impossible, or to determine the most important variables to measure in experimental and natural systems. To aid in the development of theory in this field, we present a table describing major soil ecology topics, the theory previously used, and providing key terms for theoretical approaches that could potentially address them. We then provide examples from the table that may either contribute to important incremental developments in soil science or potentially revolutionize our understanding of plant-soil systems. We challenge scientists and mathematicians to push theoretical explorations in soil systems further and highlight three major areas for the development of mathematical models in soil ecology: Theory spanning scales and ecological hierarchies, processes, and evolution.

Relational Format

journal article

Recommended Citation

Bennett, A. E., Preedy, K., Golubski, A., Umbanhowar, J., Borrett, S. R., Byrne, L., Apostol, K., Bever, J. D., Biederman, L., Classen, A. T., Cuddington, K., Graaff, M., Garrett, K. A., Gross, L., Hastings, A., Hoeksema, J. D., Hrynkiv, V., Karst, J., Kummel, M., … Zhu, J. (2019). Beyond the black box: promoting mathematical collaborations for elucidating interactions in soil ecology. Ecosphere, 10(7). https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2799

DOI

10.1002/ecs2.2799

Accessibility Status

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