Understanding the emergence of pathogenic viruses has dominated studies of virus evolution. However, new metagenomic studies imply that relatively few of an immense number of viruses may lead to overt disease. This suggests a change in emphasis, from viruses as habitual pathogens to integral components of ecosystems. Here we show how viruses alter interactions between host individuals, populations, and ecosystems, impacting ecosystem health, resilience, and function, and how host ecology in turn impacts viral abundance and diversity. Moving to an ecosystems perspective will put virus evolution and disease emergence in its true context, and enhance our understanding of ecological processes.

中文翻译：

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关于病毒进化和出现的生态系统观点。

了解病原性病毒的出现主导了病毒进化的研究。但是，新的宏基因组学研究表明，相当数量的病毒可能导致明显的疾病。这表明重点已经改变，从作为惯常病原体的病毒到生态系统的组成部分。在这里，我们展示了病毒如何改变宿主个体，种群和生态系统之间的相互作用，如何影响生态系统的健康，适应力和功能，以及宿主生态又如何影响病毒的丰度和多样性。转向生态系统的观点将把病毒的进化和疾病的出现置于真实的环境中，并增进我们对生态过程的理解。