MSGID: 1:317/3 6459cc59   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Viruses could reshuffle the carbon cycle in a warming world    
    Viruses may have unanticipated consequences for ecosystem responses to   
   climate change    
      
     Date:   
         May 8, 2023   
     Source:   
         DOE/US Department of Energy   
     Summary:   
         The roles microbes play in ecosystems are changing with global   
         warming.   
      
         Microbes are also affected by infection by viruses, but scientists   
         know relatively little about how these viral infections could   
         change how microbes react to warming. In this study, scientists   
         describe different ways that increasing temperatures could affect   
         viruses and their microbial hosts. Their preliminary models show   
         that viruses could alter carbon balance, causing some ecosystems   
         to switch from net carbon sources to net carbon sinks.   
      
      
         Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   Microbes play important roles in ecosystems, and these roles are changing   
   with global warming. Scientists also now know that most types of microbes   
   are infected by viruses, but they know relatively little about how   
   these viral infections could change how microbes react to warming. In   
   this study, scientists describe many different ways that increasing   
   temperatures could affect viruses and their microbial hosts. These   
   changes could ultimately affect the responses of whole ecosystems   
   to warming. The work exposes several important gaps in researchers'   
   current knowledge about the connections between viruses, warming, and   
   ecosystem functioning. Filling these gaps is crucial for understanding   
   and predicting the effects of climate change on ecosystems.   
      
   This study creates a roadmap for understanding the many different   
   ways that viruses could modify the effects of warming on communities   
   of microbes. Viruses likely have strong effects on processes with   
   microbes and the ways ecosystems function. Incorporating these previously   
   ignored effects into ecosystem models will help scientists improve their   
   predictions of how ecosystems could respond to climate change.   
      
   Microorganisms play integral roles in ecosystems by controlling   
   the flow of energy and matter through processes like photosynthesis   
   (carbon uptake), respiration (carbon release), and decomposition (carbon   
   recycling). Climate change is currently altering how ecosystems function   
   by changing how organisms operate within microbial food webs. Scientists   
   know that viruses can have strong impacts on microbial processes, but they   
   have less knowledge of how these impacts will change with future warming.   
      
   In this study, scientists from Duke University, the University of   
   Tennessee Knoxville, the Netherlands Institute of Ecology, and Oak Ridge   
   National Laboratory reviewed the potential impacts of warming on viruses   
   and how these might alter scientific understanding of ecosystem responses   
   to climate change.   
      
   Warming likely affects several different stages of the viral infection   
   cycle, as well as virus-host dynamics. However, there are still many gaps   
   in our understanding about these effects. Because viruses are ubiquitous   
   across all habitats and have strong effects on microbial functioning,   
   filling these gaps is critical to understanding how warming will affect   
   the flow of energy and matter within ecosystems. The researchers'   
   preliminary models show that viruses could potentially tip the scales on   
   natural carbon balances, causing some ecosystems to switch from being   
   net carbon sources (releasing more carbon than they store) to being   
   net carbon sinks (absorbing carbon). This study shows how incorporating   
   viruses into predictive models can lead to new and unexpected effects   
   on ecosystems in response to climate change.   
      
   This work was supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science,   
   Biological and Environmental Research program.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Health_&_Medicine   
                   # Viruses # Foodborne_Illness # Medical_Topics   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Nature # Microbes_and_More # Ecology_Research   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Global_Warming # Climate # Ecology   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Carbon_dioxide_sink o Microorganism   
             o Climate_change_mitigation o Forest o   
             Global_warming o Fossil_fuel o Climate_engineering o   
             Consensus_of_scientists_regarding_global_warming   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by DOE/US_Department_of_Energy. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Daniel J Wieczynski, Kristin M Yoshimura, Elizabeth R Denison,   
      Stefan   
         Geisen, Jennifer M DeBruyn, A Jonathan Shaw, David J Weston, Dale   
         A Pelletier, Steven W Wilhelm, Jean P Gibert. Viral infections   
         likely mediate microbial controls on ecosystem responses to   
         global warming. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 2023; 99 (3) DOI:   
         10.1093/femsec/fiad016   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230508190613.htm   
      
   --- up 1 year, 10 weeks, 10 hours, 50 minutes   
    * Origin: -=> Castle Rock BBS <=- Now Husky HPT Powered! (1:317/3)   
   SEEN-BY: 15/0 106/201 114/705 123/120 153/7715 218/700 226/30 227/114   
   SEEN-BY: 229/110 112 113 307 317 400 426 428 470 664 700 292/854 298/25   
   SEEN-BY: 305/3 317/3 320/219 396/45   
   PATH: 317/3 229/426