Hide and Seek of Soil Microbes—Who Is Where with Whom and Why?

The question posed in the Special Issue, “Hide and Seek of Soil Microbes–Who is Where with Whom and Why?”, can be considered as the central paradigm of soil microbial ecology. This book is aimed at opening a vivid discussion on i) the adequate experimental design for the representative study of soil ecosystems; ii) possibilities and limitations of observing microbial diversity; iii) possibilities and limitations of data analysis and their impact on ecological conclusions; iv) microbial spatial heterogeneity across different scales; and v) how to observe microbial niche partitioning and occupation in soil ecosystems, soil microbial communities, and their “function“. In what sense can microbes, microbial communities and ecosystems have a function?