DOI: 10.1126/science.1070710 ISSN:
Global Dispersal of Free-Living Microbial Eukaryote Species
Bland J. Finlay- Multidisciplinary
The abundance of individuals in microbial species is so large that dispersal is rarely (if ever) restricted by geographical barriers. This “ubiquitous” dispersal requires an alternative view of the scale and dynamics of biodiversity at the microbial level, wherein global species number is relatively low and local species richness is always sufficient to drive ecosystem functions.