The influence of balanced and imbalanced resource supply on biodiversity-functioning relationship across ecosystems

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Aleksandra M. Lewandowska
  • Antje Biermann
  • Elizabeth T. Borer
  • Steven A.J. Declerck
  • Luc De Meester
  • Ellen Van Donk
  • Lars Gamfeldt
  • Daniel S. Gruner
  • Nicole Hagenah
  • W. Stanley Harpole
  • Kevin P. Kirkman
  • Christopher A. Klausmeier
  • Michael Kleyer
  • Johannes M.H. Knops
  • Pieter Lemmens
  • Eric M. Lind
  • Elena Litchman
  • Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras
  • Koen Martens
  • Sandra Meier
  • Vanessa Minden
  • Joslin L. Moore
  • Harry Olde Venterink
  • Eric W. Seabloom
  • Ulrich Sommer
  • Maren Striebel
  • Anastasia Trenkamp
  • Juliane Trinogga
  • Jotaro Urabe
  • Wim Vyverman
  • Dedmer B. Van de Waal
  • Claire E. Widdicombe
  • Helmut Hillebrand

Numerous studies show that increasing species richness leads to higher ecosystem productivity. This effect is often attributed to more efficient portioning of multiple resources in communities with higher numbers of competing species, indicating the role of resource supply and stoichiometry for biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. Here, we merged theory on ecological stoichiometry with a framework of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning to understand how resource use transfers into primary production. We applied a structural equation model to define patterns of diversity-productivity relationships with respect to available resources. Meta-analysis was used to summarize the findings across ecosystem types ranging from aquatic ecosystems to grasslands and forests. As hypothesized, resource supply increased realized productivity and richness, but we found significant differences between ecosystems and study types. Increased richness was associated with increased productivity, although this effect was not seen in experiments. More even communities had lower productivity, indicating that biomass production is often maintained by a few dominant species, and reduced dominance generally reduced ecosystem productivity. This synthesis, which integrates observational and experimental studies in a variety of ecosystems and geographical regions, exposes common patterns and differences in biodiversity-functioning relationships, and increases the mechanistic understanding of changes in ecosystems productivity.

Original languageEnglish
Article number20150283
JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Volume371
Issue number1694
Number of pages9
ISSN0962-8436
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19.05.2016
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

    Research areas

  • Biodiversity-ecosystem functioning, Evenness, Nutrient network, Productivity, Richness, Stoichiometry
  • Ecosystems Research

Links

DOI

Recently viewed

Researchers

  1. Christian Pfeifer

Publications

  1. Digitized Evaluation of Academic Opportunities to Learn (OTLs) Concerning Linguistically Responsive Teaching (LRT)
  2. Public value performance
  3. Uncertainty, Pluralism, and the Knowledge-based Theory of the Firm
  4. Functional trait similarity of native and invasive herb species in subtropical China-Environment-specific differences are the key
  5. Beyond Urban Challenges-Virtual Reality Tools in Participatory Design Processes
  6. MICSIM: Concept, Developments, and Applications of a PC Microsimulation Model for Research and Teaching
  7. The role of gestures in a teacher-student-discourse about atoms
  8. DigiSchreib
  9. Where do the data live?
  10. Forest gaps increase true bug diversity by recruiting open land species
  11. Tree-tree interactions and crown complementarity
  12. Formulating and solving integrated order batching and routing in multi-depot AGV-assisted mixed-shelves warehouses
  13. Investigating Factors on R estorative Sleep Quality and its Relationship with Personal Work Performance - An Analysis of Diary Data
  14. Predictors of adherence to public health behaviors for fighting COVID-19 derived from longitudinal data
  15. Taking Responsibility for Others and Use of Mental Contrasting
  16. Perceptions of Resource Criticality in Times of Resource Scarcity
  17. Does problem complexity matter for environmental policy delivery?
  18. Status and future dynamics of decentralised renewable energy niche building processes in Argentina
  19. Machine Learning Analysis in the Diagnostics of the Dynamics of Ball Bearing with Different Radial Internal Clearance
  20. Patterns of International Organization
  21. Existential insecurity and deference to authority
  22. Introduction
  23. Why EU asylum standards exceed the lowest common denominator
  24. Introduction to Thinking the Problematic
  25. The use of player physical and technical skill match activity profiles to predict position in the Australian Football League draft