New study reveals key to predicting microbial diversity in ecosystems
Microbial communities have a complex structure and diversity that can be understood using a simple ecological model called the Stochastic Logistic Model of growth. This model can predict biodiversity in different environments and scales of observation. The Diversity Begets Diversity hypothesis, which suggests that more diverse communities lead to even more diversity, can be explained by this model. The study shows that correlations between community members' abundances are crucial in predicting diversity at different scales, highlighting the importance of ecological interactions in shaping microbial communities.