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Biodiversity increases and decreases ecosystem stability

Author

Listed:
  • Frank Pennekamp

    (University of Zurich)

  • Mikael Pontarp

    (University of Zurich
    Umeå University)

  • Andrea Tabi

    (University of Zurich)

  • Florian Altermatt

    (University of Zurich
    Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

  • Roman Alther

    (University of Zurich
    Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

  • Yves Choffat

    (University of Zurich)

  • Emanuel A. Fronhofer

    (University of Zurich
    Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
    ISEM, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE)

  • Pravin Ganesanandamoorthy

    (University of Zurich
    Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

  • Aurélie Garnier

    (University of Zurich)

  • Jason I. Griffiths

    (University of Utah)

  • Suzanne Greene

    (University of Zurich
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Katherine Horgan

    (University of Zurich)

  • Thomas M. Massie

    (University of Zurich)

  • Elvira Mächler

    (University of Zurich
    Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

  • Gian Marco Palamara

    (University of Zurich
    Integrated Assessment and Modelling, Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

  • Mathew Seymour

    (Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
    School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University)

  • Owen L. Petchey

    (University of Zurich)

Abstract

Losses and gains in species diversity affect ecological stability1–7 and the sustainability of ecosystem functions and services8–13. Experiments and models have revealed positive, negative and no effects of diversity on individual components of stability, such as temporal variability, resistance and resilience2,3,6,11,12,14. How these stability components covary remains poorly understood15. Similarly, the effects of diversity on overall ecosystem stability16, which is conceptually akin to ecosystem multifunctionality17,18, remain unknown. Here we studied communities of aquatic ciliates to understand how temporal variability, resistance and overall ecosystem stability responded to diversity (that is, species richness) in a large experiment involving 690 micro-ecosystems sampled 19 times over 40 days, resulting in 12,939 samplings. Species richness increased temporal stability but decreased resistance to warming. Thus, two stability components covaried negatively along the diversity gradient. Previous biodiversity manipulation studies rarely reported such negative covariation despite general predictions of the negative effects of diversity on individual stability components3. Integrating our findings with the ecosystem multifunctionality concept revealed hump- and U-shaped effects of diversity on overall ecosystem stability. That is, biodiversity can increase overall ecosystem stability when biodiversity is low, and decrease it when biodiversity is high, or the opposite with a U-shaped relationship. The effects of diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality would also be hump- or U-shaped if diversity had positive effects on some functions and negative effects on others. Linking the ecosystem multifunctionality concept and ecosystem stability can transform the perceived effects of diversity on ecological stability and may help to translate this science into policy-relevant information.

Suggested Citation

  • Frank Pennekamp & Mikael Pontarp & Andrea Tabi & Florian Altermatt & Roman Alther & Yves Choffat & Emanuel A. Fronhofer & Pravin Ganesanandamoorthy & Aurélie Garnier & Jason I. Griffiths & Suzanne Gre, 2018. "Biodiversity increases and decreases ecosystem stability," Nature, Nature, vol. 563(7729), pages 109-112, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:563:y:2018:i:7729:d:10.1038_s41586-018-0627-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0627-8
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jiuhan Tang & Kangning Xiong & Yue Chen & Qi Wang & Bin Ying & Jiayi Zhou, 2022. "A Review of Village Ecosystem Vulnerability and Resilience: Implications for the Rocky Desertification Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-17, May.
    2. Zhengkun Hu & Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo & Nicolas Fanin & Xiaoyun Chen & Yan Zhou & Guozhen Du & Feng Hu & Lin Jiang & Shuijin Hu & Manqiang Liu, 2024. "Nutrient-induced acidification modulates soil biodiversity-function relationships," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Wang, Lin & Li, Jia & Wang, Ting & Liao, Jinbao, 2023. "A positive complexity-stability relationship emerges in pollinator-plant-consumer tripartite networks disturbed by plant invasion," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 484(C).
    4. Donohue, Ian & Coscieme, Luca & Gellner, Gabriel & Yang, Qiang & Jackson, Andrew L. & Kubiszewski, Ida & Costanza, Robert & McCann, Kevin S., 2023. "Accelerated economic recovery in countries powered by renewables," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    5. Yanhui Chen & Guosheng Li & Linlin Cui & Lijuan Li & Lei He & Peipei Ma, 2022. "The Effects of Tidal Flat Reclamation on the Stability of the Coastal Area in the Jiangsu Province, China, from the Perspective of Landscape Structure," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, March.
    6. Zhiyin Wang & Jiansheng Cao & Chunyu Zhu & Hui Yang, 2020. "The Impact of Land Use Change on Ecosystem Service Value in the Upstream of Xiong’an New Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-16, July.
    7. Hongjie Peng & Lei Hua & Xuesong Zhang & Xuying Yuan & Jianhao Li, 2021. "Evaluation of ESV Change under Urban Expansion Based on Ecological Sensitivity: A Case Study of Three Gorges Reservoir Area in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-23, July.

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