Moving from microbial taxonomy to functional traits

Accumulating studies reveal a decoupling between microbial taxonomy and functional traits, as taxonomically similar communities could be functionally distinct owing to functionally divergent evolution. It is evident now that many microbial taxa do not fit neatly into current frameworks of functional guilds. Therefore, by linking microbial functional traits with ecosystem functions, it is becoming particularly appropriate to adopt the functional trait-centric approach for measuring environmental responses or predicting ecological consequences. Here we will present evidence to demonstrate the advantages in focusing on microbial functional traits in ecological studies. We also discuss possible mechanisms that lead to those advantages.