Plant diversity enhances ecosystem multifunctionality via multitrophic diversity

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Yi Li - , CAS - Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Andreas Schuldt - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Anne Ebeling - , Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Nico Eisenhauer - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Leipzig University (Author)
  • Yuanyuan Huang - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Leipzig University (Author)
  • Georg Albert - , University of Göttingen (Author)
  • Cynthia Albracht - , University of Amsterdam (Author)
  • Angelos Amyntas - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Michael Bonkowski - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Helge Bruelheide - , German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle—Jena—Leipzig, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Author)
  • Maximilian Bröcher - , Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Author)
  • Douglas Chesters - , CAS - Institute of Zoology (Author)
  • Jun Chen - , CAS - Institute of Zoology (Author)
  • Yannan Chen - , CAS - Institute of Zoology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Author)
  • Jing Ting Chen - , CAS - Institute of Zoology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Author)
  • Marcel Ciobanu - , National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnologies Romania (Author)
  • Xianglu Deng - , CAS - Institute of Botany, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Author)
  • Felix Fornoff - , University of Freiburg (Author)
  • Gerd Gleixner - , Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (Author)
  • Liangdong Guo - , University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS - Institute of Microbiology (Author)
  • Peng Fei Guo - , Guizhou University (Author)
  • Anna Heintz-Buschart - , University of Amsterdam (Author)
  • Alexandra Maria Klein - , University of Freiburg, Lund University (Author)
  • Markus Lange - , Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (Author)
  • Shan Li - , CAS - Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Qi Li - , CAS - Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology (Author)
  • Yingbin Li - , CAS - Shenyang Institute of Applied Ecology (Author)
  • Arong Luo - , CAS - Institute of Zoology (Author)
  • Sebastian T. Meyer - , Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Gemma Rutten - , University of Bern (Author)
  • Thomas Scholten - , University of Tübingen (Author)
  • Goddert von Oheimb - , Chair of Biodiversity and Nature Conservation (Author)
  • Marcel D. Solbach - , University of Cologne (Author)
  • Michael Staab - , Technische Universität Darmstadt (Author)
  • Ming Qiang Wang - , CAS - Institute of Zoology, CAS - Chengdu Institute of Biology (Author)
  • Naili Zhang - , Beijing Forestry University (Author)
  • Chao Dong Zhu - , CAS - Institute of Zoology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Author)
  • Bernhard Schmid - , University of Zurich (Author)
  • Keping Ma - , CAS - Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Xiaojuan Liu - , CAS - Institute of Botany, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Author)

Abstract

Ecosystem functioning depends on biodiversity at multiple trophic levels, yet relationships between multitrophic diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality have been poorly explored, with studies often focusing on individual trophic levels and functions and on specific ecosystem types. Here, we show that plant diversity can affect ecosystem functioning both directly and by affecting other trophic levels. Using data on 13 trophic groups and 13 ecosystem functions from two large biodiversity experiments—one representing temperate grasslands and the other subtropical forests—we found that plant diversity increases multifunctionality through elevated multitrophic diversity. Across both experiments, the association between multitrophic diversity and multifunctionality was stronger than the relationship between the diversity of individual trophic groups and multifunctionality. Our results also suggest that the role of multitrophic diversity is greater in forests than in grasslands. These findings imply that, to promote sustained ecosystem multifunctionality, conservation planning must consider the diversity of both plants and higher trophic levels.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2037-2047
Number of pages11
JournalNature Ecology and Evolution
Volume8
Issue number11
Early online date29 Aug 2024
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-7408-425X/work/169175152

Keywords