1. Ecologists often separate pathways of energy flow into those based on either autotrophy (green) or heterotrophy (brown). While these two pathways are easily separated by concept and methodology, increasing evidence shows a complex interplay between autotrophic and heterotrophic components of ecosystems.
2. In freshwater settings, autotroph–heterotroph microbial interactions range widely. Studies suggest that algal–bacterial and algal–fungal interactions can encompass competition, mutualism, and priming effects that depend on environmental factors and can alter ecosystem processes including energy flow and nutrient cycling. Other studies suggest that primary consumers do not feed exclusively in either brown or green food webs, blurring the distinctions between trophic pathways. This omnivory complicates trophic classification, and its nutritional significance is important to understand autotrophy, heterotrophy, and detritus as the basis of consumer growth and fitness.
3. This special issue addresses knowledge gaps regarding the breadth and complexity of the autotroph–heterotroph microbial interface in freshwaters. The nine manuscripts within this special issue showcase the range of topics crossing the boundary between green and brown food webs to understand organism‐ to ecosystem‐level responses to light regime, nutrient availability, temperature, and other environmental factors that affect autotroph–heterotroph interactions.
4. We highlight knowledge gaps generated from this special issue, such as a need for additional field studies documenting autotroph–heterotroph microbial interactions particularly in lentic settings, and a need to scale interactions from the field up to food webs and ecosystems. We anticipate that this special issue will spur scientific interest in both autotrophy and heterotrophy in freshwaters, including how these energy flow pathways cannot be fully understood when studied in isolation.

中文翻译：

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淡水中自养-异养微生物相互作用的生态学意义

1. 生态学家通常将能量流的路径分为基于自养（绿色）或异养（棕色）的能量路径。尽管这两种途径很容易被概念和方法分开，但越来越多的证据表明，生态系统的自养和异养成分之间存在复杂的相互作用。
2. 在淡水环境中，自养-异养微生物相互作用范围广泛。研究表明，藻类-细菌和藻类-真菌的相互作用可能包含竞争，共生和引发效应，这些效应取决于环境因素，并且可以改变生态系统过程，包括能量流和养分循环。其他研究表明，主要消费者不仅仅以棕色或绿色食物网为食，从而模糊了营养途径之间的区别。这种杂食性食品使营养分类变得复杂，其营养意义对于理解自养，异养和碎屑作为消费者成长和健康的基础非常重要。
3. 本期专刊解决了淡水中自养-异养微生物界面的广度和复杂性方面的知识空白。本期特刊中的九份手稿展示了跨越绿色和棕色食物网之间边界的主题范围，以了解生物体对生态系统级的光照，养分利用率，温度以及其他影响自养与异养相互作用的环境因素。
4. 我们着重指出了由于这一特殊问题而产生的知识缺口，例如需要进行更多的田间研究来记录自养-异养微生物之间的相互作用，尤其是在透镜环境中，以及需要扩大从田间直至食物网和生态系统的相互作用。我们预计，这一特刊将激发人们对淡水的自养和异养的科学兴趣，包括在单独研究时如何无法完全理解这些能量流动途径。