WAVE-LIKE FLUCTUATIONS AND CYCLICITY IN THE EXISTENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF MICROORGANISMS AND ECOSYSTEMS; CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEORY OF ECOLOGY AND PRACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The results of long-term research on the phenomenon of wave-like fluctuations in the abundance and activity of microorganisms in ecosystems and their cyclic turnover are presented. The universality of these phenomena is revealed. General biological concepts of wave-like fluctuations in microbial populations and microbial communities and the turnover of microbial populations and communities in ecosystems—the microbial cycle—are formulated. The universality of wave-like fluctuations in microbial populations and microbial communities is confirmed by mathematical models and presented as the third law in microbiology and microbial ecology. The concept of wave-like fluctuations in microbial populations and communities in ecosystems is important and should be used when determining the total number of microorganisms in natural and anthropogenic ecosystems, and especially when determining the number of viable microorganisms in all ecosystems. It should also be used when comparing soil ecosystems in terms of their stability and resilience when quantifying soil health. The concept of the turnover of microbial populations and communities in ecosystems—the microbial cycle—integrates epidemiological advances in anthropogenic research and presents a new perspective on disease control in plants and animals. The concept of the microbial cycle, together with the concept of wave-like fluctuations in microbial populations and communities, underpins a new global understanding of the interconnectedness and overall health of the living world.