The “Biodiversity–Ecosystem function debate”: An interdisciplinary dialogue between Ecology, Agricultural Science, and Agroecology

The “biodiversity–ecosystem function debate” is considered one of the most heated recent scientific issues within the discipline of Ecology. However, it can be better understood as an interdisciplinary dialogue between Ecology, Agricultural Science, and Agroecology. In this article, I review the interplay of these disciplines on the conflict, the resolution, and the implications of this debate. Agricultural Science and Agroecology challenged the relevance of nontransgressive overyielding and random assembly experiments, provided statistical and empirical methods for reanalyzing the results, and developed important recommendations for agroecosystems. This exemplifies how interdisciplinary approaches to science can contribute to improve research quality and relevance.