Abstract：
The influential concept of the rare biosphere in microbial ecology has underscored the importance of taxa occurring at low abundances yet potentially playing key roles in communities and ecosystems. Here, we refocus the concept of rare biosphere through a functional trait-based lens and provide a framework to characterize microbial functional rarity, a combination of numerical scarcity across space or time and trait distinctiveness. We demonstrate how this novel interpretation of the rare biosphere, rooted in microbial functions, can enhance our mechanistic understanding of microbial community structure. It also sheds light on functionally distinct microbes, directing conservation efforts towards taxa harboring rare yet ecologically crucial functions.
摘要：
微生物生态学中稀有生物圈的有影响力的概念强调了类群在低丰度下发生的重要性，但可能在社区和生态系统中发挥关键作用。这里,我们通过基于功能特性的透镜重新聚焦稀有生物圈的概念，并提供一个框架来表征微生物功能稀有度，跨空间或时间的数字稀缺性和特质独特性的组合。我们展示了这种对稀有生物圈的新颖解释，根植于微生物的功能，可以增强我们对微生物群落结构的机械理解。它还揭示了功能不同的微生物，将保护工作引向具有罕见但生态关键功能的类群。
