The objective of this brainstorming session is to provide a venue for microbial ecologists to meet others doing similar research at other LTER sites in order to foster cross-site comparisons and collaborations in the areas of microbial diversity and processes. Possible areas for cross-comparison include responses of microbe-mediated processes to climate change or nitrogen loading, and a potential consortium of sites testing the Moorhead & Sinsabaugh (2006) model of litter decay that is based on differential rates of degradation of litter components by different microbial groups.