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Biodiversity improves water quality through niche partitioning

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  • Bradley J. Cardinale

    (University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources & Environment)

Abstract

Diverse ecosystems fill a niche Studies in recent years have suggested that the conservation of biodiversity improves the ability of an ecosystem to retain nutrients and remain productive. These papers have proved controversial, in part because of a lack of direct evidence for a mechanism to explain the phenomenon. Now, in experiments involving manipulation of the number of algal species in model stream systems, Bradley Cardinale provides one such mechanism. Uptake of nitrogen nutrients increased linearly with species richness in response to changes in flow habitats and disturbance regimes. But when niche structure was experimentally removed, the relationship disappeared. This suggests that habitats with more species take greater advantage of the niche opportunities in an environment than do less-species-rich habitats, allowing the more diverse systems to capture a greater fraction of biologically active resources such as nitrogen.

Suggested Citation

  • Bradley J. Cardinale, 2011. "Biodiversity improves water quality through niche partitioning," Nature, Nature, vol. 472(7341), pages 86-89, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:472:y:2011:i:7341:d:10.1038_nature09904
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09904
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    2. R. Michael Lehman & Cynthia A. Cambardella & Diane E. Stott & Veronica Acosta-Martinez & Daniel K. Manter & Jeffrey S. Buyer & Jude E. Maul & Jeffrey L. Smith & Harold P. Collins & Jonathan J. Halvors, 2015. "Understanding and Enhancing Soil Biological Health: The Solution for Reversing Soil Degradation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-40, January.
    3. Jiawen Hou & Mao Ye, 2022. "Effects of Dynamic Changes of Soil Moisture and Salinity on Plant Community in the Bosten Lake Basin," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-13, October.
    4. Maes, Joachim & Egoh, Benis & Willemen, Louise & Liquete, Camino & Vihervaara, Petteri & Schägner, Jan Philipp & Grizzetti, Bruna & Drakou, Evangelia G. & Notte, Alessandra La & Zulian, Grazia & Boura, 2012. "Mapping ecosystem services for policy support and decision making in the European Union," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 31-39.
    5. Chen, Haojie, 2020. "Complementing conventional environmental impact assessments of tourism with ecosystem service valuation: A case study of the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    6. Chun-Wei Chang & Takeshi Miki & Hao Ye & Sami Souissi & Rita Adrian & Orlane Anneville & Helen Agasild & Syuhei Ban & Yaron Be’eri-Shlevin & Yin-Ru Chiang & Heidrun Feuchtmayr & Gideon Gal & Satoshi I, 2022. "Causal networks of phytoplankton diversity and biomass are modulated by environmental context," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Huirong Li & Xiaoke Zhao & Xuhui Ding & Runze Zhang, 2024. "The Impact of Rapid Urbanization on the Efficiency of Industrial Green Water Use in Urban Agglomerations around Poyang Lake," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-22, October.
    8. Patrick Bezerra Fernandes & Lucas Ferreira Gonçalves & Flavio Lopes Claudio & Janayna Almeida Souza & Guido Calgaro Júnior & Estenio Moreira Alves & Tiago Do Prado Paim, 2023. "Sustainable Production of Maize with Grass and Pigeon Pea Intercropping," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, June.
    9. La Notte, Alessandra & Maes, Joachim & Dalmazzone, Silvana & Crossman, Neville D. & Grizzetti, Bruna & Bidoglio, Giovanni, 2017. "Physical and monetary ecosystem service accounts for Europe: A case study for in-stream nitrogen retention," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 18-29.
    10. Domenico Pisani & Pasquale Pazienza & Enrico Vito Perrino & Diana Caporale & Caterina De Lucia, 2021. "The Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services of Biodiversity Components in Protected Areas: A Review for a Framework of Analysis for the Gargano National Park," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, October.
    11. Singh, Kripal & Ansari, Faiz Ahmad & Ingle, Kapilkumar Nivrutti & Gupta, Sanjay Kumar & Ahirwal, Jitendra & Dhyani, Shalini & Singh, Shraddha & Abhilash, P.C. & Rawat, Ismael & Byun, Chaeho & Bux, Fai, 2023. "Microalgae from wastewaters to wastelands: Leveraging microalgal research conducive to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    12. Prowe, A.E. Friederike & Pahlow, Markus & Oschlies, Andreas, 2012. "Controls on the diversity–productivity relationship in a marine ecosystem model," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 167-176.

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