Microbial communities are undergoing unprecedented dispersion and amalgamation across diverse ecosystems, thereby exerting profound and pervasive influences on microbial assemblages and ecosystem dynamics. This review delves into the phenomenon of community coalescence, offering an ecological overview that outlines its four-step process and elucidates the intrinsic interconnections in the context of community assembly. We examine pivotal mechanisms driving community coalescence, with a particular emphasis on elucidating the fates of both source and resident microbial communities and the consequential impacts on the ecosystem. Finally, we proffer recommendations to guide researchers in this rapidly evolving domain, facilitating deeper insights into the ecological ramifications of microbial community coalescence.

中文翻译：

---

微生物群落合并的驱动因素和后果


微生物群落在不同的生态系统中正在经历前所未有的分散和融合，从而对微生物组合和生态系统动态产生深远而普遍的影响。这篇综述深入研究了群落合并现象，提供了生态学概述，概述了其四步过程，并阐明了群落组装背景下的内在相互联系。我们研究了推动群落合并的关键机制，特别强调阐明源微生物群落和常驻微生物群落的命运以及对生态系统的间接影响。最后，我们提出建议来指导这个快速发展领域的研究人员，促进更深入地了解微生物群落合并的生态影响。