Linking Species Richness, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Soil Systems

Biodiversity , Species Composition and Ecosystem Function

Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: effects of the loss of salamander species richness.

The effects of species loss on ecosystem processes has attracted substantial research efforts over the last 2 decades (1, 2), partly motivated by rapid declines in global biodiversity. The value of this research to practical conservation is, however, yet limited (ref. 3, but see ref. 4), partly due to the lack of clear evidence from natural systems. In a recent study in PNAS, Rovito et al. (5) ...

Soil biodiversity and soil community composition determine ecosystem multifunctionality.

Biodiversity loss has become a global concern as evidence accumulates that it will negatively affect ecosystem services on which society depends. So far, most studies have focused on the ecological consequences of above-ground biodiversity loss; yet a large part of Earth's biodiversity is literally hidden below ground. Whether reductions of biodiversity in soil communities below ground have con...

Soil nematode diversity: species coexistence and ecosystem function.

Soil nematode species diversity is often high, both at ecosystem and single soil-core scales. First, how can so many species coexist? There is evidence of niche partitioning, notably of physical space, but vast interspecific overlaps and trait plasticity seem equally common. It appears that coexistence of species with similar resource needs is made possible by small-scale disturbance and predat...

Plant species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands.

Experiments suggest that biodiversity enhances the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple functions, such as carbon storage, productivity, and the buildup of nutrient pools (multifunctionality). However, the relationship between biodiversity and multifunctionality has never been assessed globally in natural ecosystems. We report here on a global empirical study relating plant species richne...