Ecology is the study of organisms in their natural environments. Microbial communities consist of various guilds of metabolically related organisms.
Microorganisms play major roles in energy transformations and biogeochemical processes.
Knowledge of both microbial diversity and microbial activity is necessary to fully characterize a natural microbial community. Section 16.2 Microorganisms are very small, and their natural environments are likewise small. The microenvironment is the place in which the microorganism actually lives. Microorganisms in nature often live a feast-or famine existence such that only the best adapted species survive in a given niche. Cooperation among microorganisms is also important in many microbial interrelationships.