Plant species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands.
نویسندگان
چکیده
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 richness and abiotic factors to multifunctionality in drylands, which collectively cover 41% of Earth's land surface and support over 38% of the human population. Multifunctionality was positively and significantly related to species richness. The best-fitting models accounted for over 55% of the variation in multifunctionality and always included species richness as a predictor variable. Our results suggest that the preservation of plant biodiversity is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change and desertification in drylands.
منابع مشابه
Comment on “Plant Species Richness and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Global Drylands”
Maestre et al. (Reports, 13 January 2012, p. 214) reported a general, but weak, positive relationship between plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands. We show that the strength of this relationship changes consistently along multiple environmental gradients, becoming strongly positive in stressed habitats. This suggests that biodiversity loss may have especially stro...
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متن کاملResponse to Comment on “Plant Species Richness and Ecosystem Multifunctionality in Global Drylands”
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ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Science
دوره 337 6091 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2012