Molecular Microbiology Research 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 20-30 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mmr 28 As the most complex and diverse component of the ecosystem, microbial communities play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem balance and stability. Microorganisms provide basic support for the normal operation of ecosystems by decomposing organic matter and participating in processes such as material circulation and energy flow. At the same time, the diversity in the microbial community also provides the ecosystem with strong resistance and resilience, allowing it to cope with external environmental pressures and disturbances (Shi et al., 2021). Delgado-Baquerizo et al. (2016) studied two independent large-scale databases and found that soil microbial diversity is positively related to the multifunctionality of terrestrial ecosystems, even when considering multiple multifunctional driving factors (climate, soil non-organisms) at the same time. biotic factors and spatial predictors), the direct positive effect of microbial diversity was also maintained. Microbial diversity affects ecosystem health at multiple levels. First, microbial diversity is directly related to the biological diversity and functional diversity of the ecosystem. The richness and complexity of microbial communities directly affect the stability and productivity of ecosystems, and the interactions and symbiotic relationships between microorganisms form an important basis for ecosystem functions. Secondly, microbial diversity has an important impact on the nutrient cycle and energy flow of ecosystems. Microorganisms promote the recycling and reuse of nutrients and maintain the energy flow and ecological balance of the ecosystem through processes such as decomposing organic matter and fixing carbon sources. In addition, microbial diversity also directly affects key elements of the ecosystem such as soil quality and water quality, and has an important impact on the overall health of the ecosystem. Through technologies such as metagenomics, we can gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between microbial diversity and ecosystem health. However, there is also a need to recognize the complexity and dynamics of this relationship. The response and adaptation of microbial communities to environmental changes is a complex process involving the interaction and regulation of multiple factors (Luo et al., 2018). Therefore, in future research, we need to comprehensively consider more environmental factors and biological factors to comprehensively understand the relationship between microbial diversity and ecosystem health, and provide more scientific basis and guidance for ecological environment protection and restoration. 4.3 Analysis of the prospects and challenges of metagenomics in ecological environment protection and restoration With its unique perspective and powerful technology, metagenomics has shown great potential and broad application prospects in ecological environment protection and restoration. In the future, with the continuous development and improvement of technology, metagenomics is expected to bring revolutionary changes to ecological environment protection and restoration. Metagenomics will play a more important role in environmental monitoring and assessment. Through metagenomics analysis, we can quickly and accurately obtain the structural and functional information of microbial communities in environmental samples, so as to promptly discover environmental problems and assess environmental risks. This will help us formulate environmental protection policies more scientifically and provide strong technical support for ecological and environmental protection. Metagenomics will play an important role in ecological restoration and pollution control. Through metagenomics analysis, we can discover and mine microbial resources with special degradation capabilities, providing new ideas and methods for pollution control. At the same time, metagenomics also helps us understand key species and key processes in the ecosystem, providing precise targets and strategies for ecological restoration (Kour et al., 2021). Offiong et al. (2023) reviewed the application of metagenomics in environmental chemistry, especially the characterization of chemical contaminants in contaminated sites and its application in bioremediation research, emphasizing the potential of metagenomics technology in improving remediation efficiency.
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