Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1016/j.tree.2016.09.007
Title (Primary) Reintroducing environmental change drivers in biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research
Author De Laender, F.; Rohr, J.R.; Ashauer, R.; Baird, D.J.; Berger, U.; Eisenhauer, N.; Grimm, V.; Hommen, U.; Maltby, L.; Meliàn, C.J.; Pomati, F.; Roessink, I.; Radchuk, V.; van den Brink, P.J.
Source Titel Trends in Ecology & Evolution
Year 2016
Department OESA; iDiv
Volume 31
Issue 12
Page From 905
Page To 915
Language englisch
Keywords biodiversity; richness; environmental change; traits; modeling; food webs
UFZ wide themes RU5;
Abstract Trends

In the 1990s critiques on early biodiversity–ecosystem function (B-EF) research pushed the field towards direct and random biodiversity manipulations.

This evolution allowed the establishment of causal relationships between ecosystem functioning and biodiversity, a main research gap at that time.

A main research gap today is to predict and mechanistically understand shifts of ecosystem functioning following real-world biodiversity shifts caused by different types of environmental change.

Data from direct and random biodiversity manipulations do not predict the functioning of ecosystems that experience biodiversity shifts as these shifts are often nonrandom and combine with a series of other effects such as changes in per capita functioning and density.

Environmental change drivers are useful as they offer experimental control over: (i) the relative magnitude of the different facets of biodiversity change; and (ii) food web composition. These two features facilitate inference of the mechanisms connecting environmental change with ecosystem functioning.

ange.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=18022
De Laender, F., Rohr, J.R., Ashauer, R., Baird, D.J., Berger, U., Eisenhauer, N., Grimm, V., Hommen, U., Maltby, L., Meliàn, C.J., Pomati, F., Roessink, I., Radchuk, V., van den Brink, P.J. (2016):
Reintroducing environmental change drivers in biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research
Trends Ecol. Evol. 31 (12), 905 - 915 10.1016/j.tree.2016.09.007