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; Ohse, Bettina; Paquette, Alain; Ampoorter, Evy; Bastias, Cristina C.; Bauhus, Jürgen; Bonal, Damien; Bouriaud, Olivier; Bussotti, Filippo; Carnol, Monique; Castagneyrol, Bastien; Chećko, Ewa; ... (2017). Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context. Ecology Letters, 20(11), pp. 1414-1426. Wiley-Blackwell Publishing 10.1111/ele.12849

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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.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) > Plant Ecology
10 Strategic Research Centers > Centre for Development and Environment (CDE)
08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS)
08 Faculty of Science > Department of Biology > Institute of Plant Sciences (IPS) > Plant Community Ecology

UniBE Contributor:

van der Plas, Alfons Leendert Derk, Allan, Eric, Fischer, Markus

Subjects:

500 Science > 580 Plants (Botany)

ISSN:

1461-023X

Publisher:

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing

Language:

English

Submitter:

Peter Alfred von Ballmoos-Haas

Date Deposited:

03 Nov 2017 17:54

Last Modified:

21 Nov 2023 11:56

Publisher DOI:

10.1111/ele.12849

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Functional diversity, FunDivEUROPE, growing season length, multifunctionality, resource heterogeneity, species richness, water availability

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.106740

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/106740

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