Microbiome Conservation as Policy Priority

Conservation programs and protected-area rules should explicitly include microbial communities, with funding for routine monitoring, specimen archiving, and legal recognition of microbiome habitats. Standard biodiversity metrics (species lists, area protected) need new protocols for microscopic taxa and ecosystem services they provide. — Recognizing microbes in conservation would shift funding, legal protections, and monitoring priorities with large knock-on effects for climate mitigation, agriculture, and public‑health resilience.