Despite the recent increase in knowledge concerning microorganisms, the processes determining their global distribution and functioning have not been disentangled. Microbial dormant stages are adapted to endure specific adverse conditions related to their dispersion path, suggesting that dispersion is not entirely a stochastic process. Long-term dormancy enhances microbial dispersion, promoting the ubiquity of microorganisms. The evidence leads us to propose that there is a global, recurrent, and spatially cyclical dispersion of microorganisms that we have called the Microbial Conveyor Belt. These dispersion cycles directly influence the distribution of microorganisms, the global cycling of inorganic and organic matter, and thus the Earth system’s functioning.

尽管最近有关微生物的知识有所增加，但决定其全球分布和功能的过程仍未解开。微生物休眠阶段适应于忍受与其扩散路径相关的特定不利条件，这表明扩散并不完全是一个随机过程。长期休眠增强了微生物的扩散，促进了微生物的普遍存在。证据使我们提出微生物的全球性、循环性和空间周期性分散，我们称之为微生物传送带。这些分散循环直接影响微生物的分布、无机和有机物质的全球循环，进而影响地球系统的功能。