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Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context

Ratcliffe, Sophia ; Wirth, Christian ; Jucker, Tommaso ; van der Plas, Fons ; Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael ; Verheyen, Kris ; Allan, Eric ; Benavides, Raquel ; Bruelheide, Helge and Ohse, Bettina , et al. (2017) In Ecology Letters 20(11). p.1414-1426
Abstract

The importance of biodiversity in supporting ecosystem functioning is generally well accepted. However, most evidence comes from small-scale studies, and scaling-up patterns of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (B-EF) remains challenging, in part because the importance of environmental factors in shaping B-EF relations is poorly understood. Using a forest research platform in which 26 ecosystem functions were measured along gradients of tree species richness in six regions across Europe, we investigated the extent and the potential drivers of context dependency of B-EF relations. Despite considerable variation in species richness effects across the continent, we found a tendency for stronger B-EF relations in drier climates as well as... (More)

The importance of biodiversity in supporting ecosystem functioning is generally well accepted. However, most evidence comes from small-scale studies, and scaling-up patterns of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (B-EF) remains challenging, in part because the importance of environmental factors in shaping B-EF relations is poorly understood. Using a forest research platform in which 26 ecosystem functions were measured along gradients of tree species richness in six regions across Europe, we investigated the extent and the potential drivers of context dependency of B-EF relations. Despite considerable variation in species richness effects across the continent, we found a tendency for stronger B-EF relations in drier climates as well as in areas with longer growing seasons and more functionally diverse tree species. The importance of water availability in driving context dependency suggests that as water limitation increases under climate change, biodiversity may become even more important to support high levels of functioning in European forests.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Functional diversity, FunDivEUROPE, growing season length, multifunctionality, resource heterogeneity, species richness, water availability
in
Ecology Letters
volume
20
issue
11
pages
1414 - 1426
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:28925074
  • scopus:85031504227
ISSN
1461-023X
DOI
10.1111/ele.12849
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
a18589b0-ad39-4b9e-83ab-f4e6d3e56312
date added to LUP
2019-05-10 12:08:23
date last changed
2024-03-03 06:47:36
@article{a18589b0-ad39-4b9e-83ab-f4e6d3e56312,
  abstract     = {{<p>The importance of biodiversity in supporting ecosystem functioning is generally well accepted. However, most evidence comes from small-scale studies, and scaling-up patterns of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (B-EF) remains challenging, in part because the importance of environmental factors in shaping B-EF relations is poorly understood. Using a forest research platform in which 26 ecosystem functions were measured along gradients of tree species richness in six regions across Europe, we investigated the extent and the potential drivers of context dependency of B-EF relations. Despite considerable variation in species richness effects across the continent, we found a tendency for stronger B-EF relations in drier climates as well as in areas with longer growing seasons and more functionally diverse tree species. The importance of water availability in driving context dependency suggests that as water limitation increases under climate change, biodiversity may become even more important to support high levels of functioning in European forests.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ratcliffe, Sophia and Wirth, Christian and Jucker, Tommaso and van der Plas, Fons and Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael and Verheyen, Kris and Allan, Eric and Benavides, Raquel and Bruelheide, Helge and Ohse, Bettina and Paquette, Alain and Ampoorter, Evy and Bastias, Cristina C. and Bauhus, Jürgen and Bonal, Damien and Bouriaud, Olivier and Bussotti, Filippo and Carnol, Monique and Castagneyrol, Bastien and Chećko, Ewa and Dawud, Seid Muhie and Wandeler, Hans De and Domisch, Timo and Finér, Leena and Fischer, Markus and Fotelli, Mariangela and Gessler, Arthur and Granier, André and Grossiord, Charlotte and Guyot, Virginie and Haase, Josephine and Hättenschwiler, Stephan and Jactel, Hervé and Jaroszewicz, Bogdan and Joly, François Xavier and Kambach, Stephan and Kolb, Simon and Koricheva, Julia and Liebersgesell, Mario and Milligan, Harriet and Müller, Sandra and Muys, Bart and Nguyen, Diem and Nock, Charles and Pollastrini, Martina and Purschke, Oliver and Radoglou, Kalliopi and Raulund-Rasmussen, Karsten and Roger, Fabian and Ruiz-Benito, Paloma}},
  issn         = {{1461-023X}},
  keywords     = {{Functional diversity; FunDivEUROPE; growing season length; multifunctionality; resource heterogeneity; species richness; water availability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  number       = {{11}},
  pages        = {{1414--1426}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Ecology Letters}},
  title        = {{Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.12849}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/ele.12849}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}