Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part. Published by the ecological society of america number 4. Pdf biodiversity and the stability of ecosystem functioning. Biodiversity is essential for the functioning and sustainability of an ecosystem. How will biodiversity loss affect ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services, and human wellbeing.
Belowground biodiversity and ecosystem functioning nature. The first model is based on local niche complementarity and assumes that each species possesses certain traits that allow species to utilize available resources differently tilman et al. Biodiversity loss is the extinction of species plant or animal worldwide, and also the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat. Linking ecosystems functions and ecosystem services. The importance of biodiversity in supporting ecosystem functioning is generally well accepted. Sr on ecosystem functioning may be enhancing as a result of complementarity or reducing as a result of, for example, allelopathy or resource competition. The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has emerged as one of the most exciting and dynamic areas in contemporary ecology.
The main aim of this article is to discuss how forest restoration may benefit from insights originating from the emerging bef framework. The mixed forest, having the highest level of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, possesses several major properties of tropical rain forest. Pdf the ecological consequences of biodiversity loss have aroused considerable interest and controversy during the past decade. A functioning ecosystem is one that exhibits biological and chemical activities characteristic for its type. Biodiversityecosystem functioning bef research is central to this emerging synthesis, asking how biodiversity is related to the magnitude and stability of ecosystem processes. Ef remains challenging, in part because the importance of environmental factors in shaping b. Globally, forests cover nearly one third of the land area and they contain over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity. Usa 110, 1429614301 20this study showed that soil food. Chapter 2 biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services. Although all ecosystems are able to adapt to the stresses associated with reductions in biodiversity to some degree, biodiversity loss reduces an ecosystems complexity, as roles once played by multiple interacting species or multiple interacting. Our goals here are to summarize a consensus view for the ecological community of current understandings of the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning with an eye to uncer. Interest in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning bef research has been expanding since its emergence in the late 1980s. Pdf biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in naturally.
Work performed in the 1990s suggested that species. W e are at present unable to predict the consequences of changing ecosystem functioning as well as the loss of biodiversity resulting from environmental change in ecological, economic or. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in. Martini5 and michael kessler6 1albrechtvonhaller institute, experimental phycology and culture collection of algae, georg. Effects of biodiversity on the functioning of trophic groups. Species diversity is a major determinant of ecosystem productivity, stability, invasibility, and nutrient dynamics. Mar 14, 2016 stability of ecosystem functioning occurs in diverse communities even as populations of individual species fluctuate in size and impact over time. While the nitrogen uptake patterns described by kahmen et al. Critical processes at the ecosystem level influence plant productivity, soil. Forest restoration, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
It then describes the natural science foundations of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning research including. N2 how will biodiversity loss affect ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services, and human wellbeing. Approximately 25 years ago, ecologists became increasingly interested in the question of whether ongoing biodiversity loss matters for the functioning of ecosystems. W e are at present unable to predict the consequences of changing ecosystem functioning as well as the loss of biodiversity resulting from environmental change in ecological, economic or societal terms. Thus the growing conditions of one year may promote increased population response by some species and decreased response by others including tilting competition in favor of one species over another. Most bef research has concentrated on the effect of horizontal diversity, within trophic levels, on ecosystem functioning. Perspective quantifying effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning across times and places forest isbell, 1 jane cowles, laura e. These findings may have important implications for the restoration of many severely degraded or lost tropical forest ecosystems. Differences in biodiversity effects among ecosystems could arise, for example, from variation in the ratios of producerconsumer stocks, or the size, generation times, or growth rates of dominant organisms. Schererlorenzen, institute of plant sciences, swiss federal institute of technology zurich eth, switzerland keywords. Pdf a study of drylands across the world highlights the importance of species richness for ecosystem function. For woodlands, three examples of delivery of regulating ecosystem services included in this collection of research summaries are i the role of.
Pdf biodiversity and ecosystem function researchgate. Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning in a 15year. Biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services 5 1 introduction this chapter explores current understanding of the relationships between biodiversity, the structure and functioning of ecosystems, and the provision of ecosystem services. Published by the ecological society of america number 4, fall. Hedlund 16 the critical role of plant microbe interactions on biodiversity and. The number of existing species is vastly higher than the. A functioning forest ecosystem, for example, exhibits rates of plant production, carbon storage, and nutrient cycling that are characteristic of most forests. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning ecological society of. T1 biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human wellbeing. Effects of biodiversity on the functioning of trophic.
Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in food webs. However, individuals within an ecosystem interact both with members of their same trophic group and with organisms from other trophic levels. The number of existing species is vastly higher than the if. In applied entomology, there is longstanding interest in the issue, especially as regards the importance of natural enemy diversity for pest control. Soil food web properties explain ecosystem services across european land use systems. The latter phenomenon can be temporary or permanent, depending on whether the environmental degradation that leads to the loss is reversible through ecological restoration ecological resilience or. Changes in biodiversity and ecosystem function during the. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning michel loreau. Pdf biodiversity and ecosystem functioning semantic. Many of the authors of this paper have been on different sides of this debate. Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning respond unimodally to environmental stress jan m.
Contrasting biodiversityecosystem functioning relationships in phylogenetic and functional diversity bastian steudel1, christine hallmann1, maike lorenz1, stefan abrahamczyk2, kathleen prinz3, cornelia herrfurth4, ivo feussner4, johannes w. Department of ecology, evolution and behavior, university of minnesota, mn, usa. Further progress will require integration of knowledge about biotic and abiotic controls on ecosystem properties, how ecological communities are structured, and the forces driving species extinctions and invasions. As biodiversity rapidly has been declining, scientists have searched for effective approaches to predicting the future effects and solutions to biodiversity loss. Multiple trophic levels, multifunctionality how many species are needed to ensure successful functioning of ecosystems. Diversity and productivity evidence and mechanisms 2. Bren school of environmental science and management, university of california, santa barbara, ca, usa. In an age of accelerating biodiversity loss, this volume summarizes recent advances in biodiversity ecosystem functioning research and explores the economics of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning respond. Mar 14, 2016 increasing concern over worldwide loss of biodiversity has led ecologists to focus intently on how ecosystem functioning may depend on diversity. Contrasting biodiversity ecosystem functioning relationships. Further progress will require integration of knowledge about biotic and abiotic controls on ecosystem properties, how ecological communities are.
In an age of accelerating biodiversity loss, this timely and critical volume summarizes recent advances in biodiversity ecosystem functioning research and explores the economics of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human wellbeing. A major future challenge is to determine how biodiversity dynamics, ecosystem processes, and abiotic factors interact. The scientific community has come to a broad consensus on many aspects of the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, including many points relevant to management of ecosystems. Confirming our main model prediction, the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning tends to be greater at intermediate levels of environmental stress, but varies among studies corresponding to differences in stress. Hundreds of studies spanning terrestrial, aquatic, and marine ecosystems show that highdiversity mixtures are approximately twice as productive as monocultures of the same species and that this difference increases through time. Because primary production is a convenient measure of ecosystem functioning, it has been emphasized in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning work, which creates the uncanny resemblance between modern experiments and the hortus gramineus. Further progress will require integration of knowledge about biotic and abiotic controls on ecosystem properties, how ecological communities are struc tured, and the forces driving species extinctions and invasions. Quantifying effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. Idea and perspective quantifying effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning across times and places forest isbell, 1 jane cowles, laura e. Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and classical biological. Thus, over the last few years research has focused on the question of whether the loss of biodiversity will negatively affect the functioning of ecosystems naeem et al.
Increasing concern over worldwide loss of biodiversity has led ecologists to focus intently on how ecosystem functioning may depend on diversity. Currently research on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is shifting from focusing on species diversity to focus on functional diversity. Hector encyclopedia of life support systems eolss laboratory culture, aquatic animals in artificial ponds or streams, forest plantations or, most commonly, field plots of grassland plants. Increasing domination of ecosystems by humans is steadily transforming them into depauperate systems. Following the principles of resilience science, a high species richness or functional diversity is important for ecosystem functioning gunderson 2000, elmqvist et al. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in naturally assembled communities. Stability of ecosystem functioning occurs in diverse communities even as populations of individual species fluctuate in size and impact over time. Biodiversity and lication is one way that esa seeks between diversity and function, has to inform the public about ecologi been criticized e. The importance of species traits in biodiversityecosystem. This ability to function is described by marina alberti as the ability of earths processes to sustain life over a long period of time. Biodiversity and resilience of ecosystem functions wsl. N2 species diversity is a major determinant of ecosystem productivity stability invasibility, and nutrient dynamics. As such, a new ecological subfield on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning bef was born. This is particularly important when testing redundancy or biological in.
Despite the recent rush to embrace the linkage between biodiversity and ecosystem function, we find little support for the hypothesis that there is a strong dependence of ecosystem function on the full complement of diversity within sites. However, no previous study has assessed the biodiversity effects of pd and fd in a single biodiversityecosystem functioning experiment with direct manipulation of sr. The question of whether species extinction alters the productivity of communities and ecosystem function is the subject of heated controversy. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning cedar creek ecosystem. Biodiversity ecosystem functioning bef research is central to this emerging synthesis, asking how biodiversity is related to the magnitude and stability of ecosystem processes. Biodiversity loss also threatens the structure and proper functioning of the ecosystem.
The role of turnover in ecosystem function and stability has not been investigated. Oct 26, 2006 the question of whether species extinction alters the productivity of communities and ecosystem function is the subject of heated controversy. One challenge in merging community and ecosystem ecology is to integrate the complexity of natural multitrophic communities into concepts of ecosystem functioning. From this point of views species traits play a central role, because it is the. Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and classical. Bef research biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Reich,4,5 andrew gonzalez,6 andy hector7 and bernhard schmid8 abstract biodiversity loss decreases ecosystem functioning at the local scales at which species interact, but.
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