Ecology: diversity and stability in plant communities

The relationship between species diversity and ecosystem stability is controversial. Tilman et al. analyse biomass patterns over a decade in a grassland experiment with artificial plant communities, and provide evidence for a positive relationship between the number of plant species and the temporal stability of the ecosystem. Here we use data from a long-term biodiversity experiment with plant communities that were not controlled by weeding in order to show that diverse systems can be both stable and unstable.     

Diversity and dispersal interactively affect predictability of ecosystem function

Theory and small-scale experiments predict that biodiversity losses can decrease the magnitude and stability of ecosystem services such as production and nutrient cycling. Most of this research, however, has been isolated from the immigration and emigration (dispersal) processes that create and maintain diversity in nature. As common anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity change--such as habitat fragmentation, species introductions and climate change--are mediated by these understudied processes, it is unclear how environmental degradation will affect ecosystem services. Here we tested the interactive effects of mobile grazer diversity and dispersal on the magnitude and stability of ecosystem properties in experimental seagrass communities that were either isolated or connected by dispersal corridors. We show that, contrary to theoretical predictions, increasing the number of mobile grazer species in these metacommunities increased the spatial and temporal variability of primary and secondary production. Moreover, allowing grazers to move among and select patches reduced diversity effects on production. Finally, effects of diversity on stability differed qualitatively between patch and metacommunity scales. Our results indicate that declining biodiversity and habitat fragmentation synergistically influence the predictability of ecosystem functioning.     

Diversity-dependent production can decrease the stability of ecosystem functioning

There is concern that species loss may adversely affect ecosystem functioning and stability. But although there is evidence that biodiversity loss can lead to reductions in biomass production, there is no direct evidence that biodiversity loss affects ecosystem resistance (ability to withstand perturbation) or resilience (recovery from perturbation). Yet theory, laboratory experiments and indirect experimental evidence strongly suggest that diversity and stability are related. Here we report results from a field experiment with factorially crossed perturbation and diversity manipulations. We simulated drought perturbation on constructed grassland ecosystems containing 1, 2, 4, 8 or 32 plant species. Under unperturbed conditions, the species-poor systems achieved lower biomass production than the species-rich systems. However, the species-poor systems were more resistant to perturbation than the species-rich systems. The species-poor systems also showed a larger initial resilience following perturbation, although the original relationship between diversity and productivity was fully restored after 1year. Our results confirm that biodiversity increases biomass production, but they also point to the fact that such diversity--production associations may lead to an inverse relationship between biodiversity and the stability of ecosystem functioning.     

Biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality

Biodiversity loss can affect ecosystem functions and services. Individual ecosystem functions generally show a positive asymptotic relationship with increasing biodiversity, suggesting that some species are redundant. However, ecosystems are managed and conserved for multiple functions, which may require greater biodiversity. Here we present an analysis of published data from grassland biodiversity experiments, and show that ecosystem multifunctionality does require greater numbers of species. We analysed each ecosystem function alone to identify species with desirable effects. We then calculated the number of species with positive effects for all possible combinations of functions. Our results show appreciable differences in the sets of species influencing different ecosystem functions, with average proportional overlap of about 0.2 to 0.5. Consequently, as more ecosystem processes were included in our analysis, more species were found to affect overall functioning. Specifically, for all of the analysed experiments, there was a positive saturating relationship between the number of ecosystem processes considered and the number of species influencing overall functioning. We conclude that because different species often influence different functions, studies focusing on individual processes in isolation will underestimate levels of biodiversity required to maintain multifunctional ecosystems.     

Bottom-up effects of plant diversity on multitrophic interactions in a biodiversity experiment

Biodiversity is rapidly declining, and this may negatively affect ecosystem processes, including economically important ecosystem services. Previous studies have shown that biodiversity has positive effects on organisms and processes across trophic levels. However, only a few studies have so far incorporated an explicit food-web perspective. In an eight-year biodiversity experiment, we studied an unprecedented range of above- and below-ground organisms and multitrophic interactions. A multitrophic data set originating from a single long-term experiment allows mechanistic insights that would not be gained from meta-analysis of different experiments. Here we show that plant diversity effects dampen with increasing trophic level and degree of omnivory. This was true both for abundance and species richness of organisms. Furthermore, we present comprehensive above-ground/below-ground biodiversity food webs. Both above ground and below ground, herbivores responded more strongly to changes in plant diversity than did carnivores or omnivores. Density and richness of carnivorous taxa was independent of vegetation structure. Below-ground responses to plant diversity were consistently weaker than above-ground responses. Responses to increasing plant diversity were generally positive, but were negative for biological invasion, pathogen infestation and hyperparasitism. Our results suggest that plant diversity has strong bottom-up effects on multitrophic interaction networks, with particularly strong effects on lower trophic levels. Effects on higher trophic levels are indirectly mediated through bottom-up trophic cascades.     

土壤微生物多样性与植物多样性

土壤中生活着丰富的微生物类群,是一个重要的地下生物宝库.土壤微生物是土壤中的主要分解者,对环境起着天然的“过滤”和“净化”作用,在自然生态系统的功能发挥和维持能力方面极其重要.植物、土壤和微生物相互作用,构成了一个植物-土壤-微生物的有机整体.土壤微生物多样性代表着微生物群落的稳定性,指生命体在遗传、种类和生态系统层次上的变化.从遗传、分类、生态功能以及系统发育等多方面阐述了当前土壤微生物多样性的研究工作.同时探讨了植物多样性与土壤微生物多样性之间的内在联系,植被的破坏可直接导致土壤微生物多样性的丧失,而土壤微生物对植物物种多样性的维持又具有重要作用.因此,加强土壤微生物多样性研究对植物多样性保护具有重要意义.     

铁岭莲花湖湿地生物多样性研究进展

湿地生物多样性对于维持湿地生态功能和生态系统稳定有重要作用,湿地生物多样性研究的深入开展,对生物多样性保护和生态恢复具有重要意义,也为制定可持续利用规划提供可靠依据.简要介绍铁岭莲花湖湿地的自然概况,从植物种类的多样性、动物种类的多样性、植物群落的多样性和生物多样性评价几个方面,对现有研究成果进行评述,并对铁岭莲花湖湿地生物多样性的下一步研究进行展望.     

Ecosystem stability and compensatory effects in the Inner Mongolia grassland

Numerous studies have suggested that biodiversity reduces variability in ecosystem productivity through compensatory effects; that is, a species increases in its abundance in response to the reduction of another in a fluctuating environment. But this view has been challenged on several grounds. Because most studies have been based on artificially constructed grasslands with short duration, long-term studies of natural ecosystems are needed. On the basis of a 24-year study of the Inner Mongolia grassland, here we present three key findings. First, that January-July precipitation is the primary climatic factor causing fluctuations in community biomass production; second, that ecosystem stability (conversely related to variability in community biomass production) increases progressively along the hierarchy of organizational levels (that is, from species to functional group to whole community); and finally, that the community-level stability seems to arise from compensatory interactions among major components at both species and functional group levels. From a hierarchical perspective, our results corroborate some previous findings of compensatory effects. Undisturbed mature steppe ecosystems seem to culminate with high biodiversity, productivity and ecosystem stability concurrently. Because these relationships are correlational, further studies are necessary to verify the causation among these factors. Our study provides new insights for better management and restoration of the rapidly degrading Inner Mongolia grassland.     

放牧对荒漠草原群落多样性的影响

退化草地生态系统中物种多样性的严重丧失及其后果,至今仍缺乏有代表性的实验结论.放牧是人类施加于草原生态系统最主要的干扰因素,从荒漠草原群落多样性、植物功能群多样性以及物种多样性与生产力的关系3个方面综述相关研究进展.提出不同放牧制度对荒漠草原群落多样性、植物功能群多样性的影响过程和作用机制是研究荒漠草原利用与保护平衡的...     

A global synthesis reveals biodiversity loss as a major driver of ecosystem change

Evidence is mounting that extinctions are altering key processes important to the productivity and sustainability of Earth's ecosystems. Further species loss will accelerate change in ecosystem processes, but it is unclear how these effects compare to the direct effects of other forms of environmental change that are both driving diversity loss and altering ecosystem function. Here we use a suite of meta-analyses of published data to show that the effects of species loss on productivity and decomposition--two processes important in all ecosystems--are of comparable magnitude to the effects of many other global environmental changes. In experiments, intermediate levels of species loss (21-40%) reduced plant production by 5-10%, comparable to previously documented effects of ultraviolet radiation and climate warming. Higher levels of extinction (41-60%) had effects rivalling those of ozone, acidification, elevated CO(2) and nutrient pollution. At intermediate levels, species loss generally had equal or greater effects on decomposition than did elevated CO(2) and nitrogen addition. The identity of species lost also had a large effect on changes in productivity and decomposition, generating a wide range of plausible outcomes for extinction. Despite the need for more studies on interactive effects of diversity loss and environmental changes, our analyses clearly show that the ecosystem consequences of local species loss are as quantitatively significant as the direct effects of several global change stressors that have mobilized major international concern and remediation efforts.     

Changes in plant community diversity and aboveground biomass along with altitude within an alpine meadow on the Three-River source region

The grassland is an important component of terrestrial ecosystems and plays a significant role in biodiversity and ecosystem functions.In the present study,the changes of plant species diversity and aboveground biomass productivity were examined along with the altitude in natural alpine grassland in the source region of three rivers on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.Eleven experimental locations were selected with altitudes ranging from 3862 to 4450 m above sea level(a.s.l.).The results indicated that Kobresia pygmaea meadow,Kobresia humilis meadow and Salix cupularis shrub meadow had higher indices of diversity and aboveground biomass.The distribution of species diversity,richness and aboveground biomass showed similarly unimodal patterns across the altitude gradient with the highest indices appeared at mid-altitudes locations.The changing trend of species diversity,richness and evenness also showed significant unimodal patterns with total aboveground biomass,and the highest species diversity occurred at intermediate level of productivities.This research would provide a valuable reference for the protection of grassland biodiversity and maintaining of the grazing ecosystem function in the source region of the Three Rivers.     

Consistent patterns and the idiosyncratic effects of biodiversity in marine ecosystems

Revealing the consequences of species extinctions for ecosystem function has been a chief research goal and has been accompanied by enthusiastic debate. Studies carried out predominantly in terrestrial grassland and soil ecosystems have demonstrated that as the number of species in assembled communities increases, so too do certain ecosystem processes, such as productivity, whereas others such as decomposition can remain unaffected. Diversity can influence aspects of ecosystem function, but questions remain as to how generic the patterns observed are, and whether they are the product of diversity, as such, or of the functional roles and traits that characterize species in ecological systems. Here we demonstrate variable diversity effects for species representative of marine coastal systems at both global and regional scales. We provide evidence for an increase in complementary resource use as diversity increases and show strong evidence for diversity effects in naturally assembled communities at a regional scale. The variability among individual species responses is consistent with a positive but idiosyncratic pattern of ecosystem function with increased diversity.     

Effects of macrophyte species richness on wetland ecosystem functioning and services

Wetlands provide many important ecosystem services to human society, which may depend on how plant diversity influences biomass production and nutrient retention. Vascular aquatic plant diversity may not necessarily enhance wetland ecosystem functioning, however, because competition among these plant species can be strong, often resulting in the local dominance of a single species. Here we have manipulated the species richness of rooted, submerged aquatic plant (macrophyte) communities in experimental wetland mesocosms. We found higher algal and total plant (algal plus macrophyte) biomass, as well as lower loss of total phosphorus, in mesocosms with a greater richness of macrophyte species. Greater plant biomass resulted from a sampling effect; that is, the increased chance in species mixtures that algal production would be facilitated by the presence of a less competitive species-in this case, crisped pondweed. Lower losses of total phosphorus resulted from the greater chance in species mixtures of a high algal biomass and the presence of sago pondweed, which physically filter particulate phosphorus from the water. These indirect and direct effects of macrophyte species richness on algal production, total plant biomass and phosphorus loss suggest that management practices that maintain macrophyte diversity may enhance the functioning and associated services of wetland ecosystems.     

呼伦贝尔草原群落生产力与物种多样性关系分析

在呼伦贝草原选取5种代表性草原群落类型,采用取样调查的方法,探讨自然状况下草原植被群落生产力与物种多样性的关系,旨在为草原生态系统功能的恢复和草原有效管理提供理论依据.研究结果表明:大针茅+糙隐子草群落、羊草+克氏针茅群落、克氏针茅+羊草群落和贝加尔针茅+羊草群落多样性指数(物种丰富度指数、Simpson指数和Shannon-Winner指数)与生产力均呈显著正相关关系,但是羊草+寸草苔草甸草原物种多样性指数与生产力没有显著性相关关系.群落生产力受物种多样性、物种组成和环境因子等多因素共同影响,不仅仅是由物种多样性决定.     

Plant diversity enhances ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 and nitrogen deposition

Human actions are causing declines in plant biodiversity, increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and increases in nitrogen deposition; however, the interactive effects of these factors on ecosystem processes are unknown. Reduced biodiversity has raised numerous concerns, including the possibility that ecosystem functioning may be affected negatively, which might be particularly important in the face of other global changes. Here we present results of a grassland field experiment in Minnesota, USA, that tests the hypothesis that plant diversity and composition influence the enhancement of biomass and carbon acquisition in ecosystems subjected to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations and nitrogen deposition. The study experimentally controlled plant diversity (1, 4, 9 or 16 species), soil nitrogen (unamended versus deposition of 4 g of nitrogen per m2 per yr) and atmospheric CO2 concentrations using free-air CO2 enrichment (ambient, 368 micromol mol-1, versus elevated, 560 micromol mol-1). We found that the enhanced biomass accumulation in response to elevated levels of CO2 or nitrogen, or their combination, is less in species-poor than in species-rich assemblages.     

我国少数民族药用植物多样性研究

本文从生物多样性的3个层面(物种多样性、遗传多样性和生态系统多样性)以及多样性研究的方法,总结和评述了我国少数民族药用植物多样性研究的进展,讨论了民族药用植物多样性研究中存在的一些问题.     

Ecosystem consequences of species richness and composition in pond food webs

Resolving current concerns about the role of biodiversity on ecosystems calls for understanding the separate roles of changes in species numbers and of composition. Recent work shows that primary productivity often, but not always, saturates with species richness within single trophic levels. However, any interpretation of such patterns must consider that variation in biodiversity is necessarily associated with changes in species composition (identity), and that changes in biodiversity often occur across multiple trophic levels. Here we present results from a mesocosm experiment in which we independently manipulated species richness and species composition across multiple trophic levels in pond food webs. In contrast to previous studies that focused on single trophic levels, we found that productivity is either idiosyncratic or increases with respect to species richness, and that richness influences trophic structure. However, the composition of species within richness levels can have equally or more marked effects on ecosystems than average effects of richness per se. Indirect evidence suggests that richness and associated changes in species composition affect ecosystem attributes through indirect effects and trophic interactions among species, features that are highly characteristic of natural, complex ecosystems.     

Partitioning selection and complementarity in biodiversity experiments.

The impact of biodiversity loss on the functioning of ecosystems and their ability to provide ecological services has become a central issue in ecology. Several experiments have provided evidence that reduced species diversity may impair ecosystem processes such as plant biomass production. The interpretation of these experiments, however, has been controversial because two types of mechanism may operate in combination. In the 'selection effect', dominance by species with particular traits affects ecosystem processes. In the 'complementarity effect', resource partitioning or positive interactions lead to increased total resource use. Here we present a new approach to separate the two effects on the basis of an additive partitioning analogous to the Price equation in evolutionary genetics. Applying this method to data from the pan-European BIODEPTH experiment reveals that the selection effect is zero on average and varies from negative to positive in different localities, depending on whether species with lower- or higher-than-average biomass dominate communities. In contrast, the complementarity effect is positive overall, supporting the hypothesis that plant diversity influences primary production in European grasslands through niche differentiation or facilitation.     

人工林生态系统生物多样性与生产力的关系

生物多样性与生产力之间的关系是生态学界近来争论的热点之一。笔者简要介绍了现有关于生物多样性影响生态系统功能有关抽样效应、生态位互补、保险效应、冗余机制、基因-环境互作、边际效应及中性理论等作用机制,以及现有的关于生产力和多样性之间关系的主要观点。在此基础上,阐述了人工林生物多样性的研究现状和人工林生物多样性与生态功能的关系,重点讨论了造林树种选择、造林地清理、造林密度、间伐、林农复合经营、轮伐期长短等经营措施对人工林生物多样性的影响。人工林生物多样性的高低,很大程度上取决于林分结构的构建和调控,任何左右林分结构的经营措施都有可能对人工林生物多样性产生影响。因此,从生物多样性维护及生态功能发挥的角度看,决定应该营造什么样的人工林以及该采取怎样的经营措施是人工林可持续经营和长期立地生产力维持的关键。     

河南省伊洛河流域生物多样性调查及评价

选取物种丰富度、生态系统类型多样性、物种特有性、受威胁物种丰富度、外来物种入侵度5个评价指标,以县域为评价单元,对河南省伊洛河流域13个县区展开生物多样性调查并进行综合评价,旨在系统掌握伊洛河流域生物多样性现状,为管理部门制定有效保护策略提供决策依据,并且进一步检验环保部已建立的生物多样性评价指标和方法.结果表明:流域内共有野生维管植物2882种;各类脊椎动物514种;自然分布的生态系统类型114种;中国特有物种1 107种;受威胁物种252种;外来入侵植物53种.上游卢氏、嵩县和栾川生物多样性评价结果为"高",中游的洛宁、宜阳、伊川为"中",而下游7个县区生物多样性均为"一般".流域内生物多样性地域性差异较大.