Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context

Sophia Ratcliffe; Christian Wirth; Tommaso Jucker; Fons van der Plas; Michael Scherer-Lorenzen; Kris Verheyen; Eric Allan; Raquel Benavides; Helge Bruelheide; Bettina Ohse; Alain Paquette; Evy Ampoorter; Cristina C. Bastias; Jürgen Bauhus; Damien Bonal; Olivier Bouriaud; Filippo Bussotti; Monique Carnol; Bastien Castagneyrol; Ewa Chećko; Seid Muhie Dawud; Hans De Wandeler; Timo Domisch; Leena Finér; Markus Fischer; Mariangela Fotelli; Arthur Gessler; André Granier; Charlotte Grossiord; Virginie Guyot; Stephan Hättenschwiler; Hervé Jactel; Bogdan Jaroszewicz; François-Xavier Joly; Stephan Kambach; Simon Kolb; Julia Koricheva; Mario Liebersgesell; Harriet Milligan; Sandra Müller; Bart Muys; Diem Nguyen; Charles Nock; Martina Pollastrini; Oliver Purschke; Kalliopi Radoglou; Karsten Raulund-Rasmussen; Fabian Roger; Paloma Ruiz-Benito; Rupert Seidl; Federico Selvi; Ian Seiferling; Jan Stenlid; Fernando Valladares; Lars Vesterdal; Lander Baeten

doi:10.1111/ele.12849

Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context

Sophia Ratcliffe, Christian Wirth, Tommaso Jucker, Fons van der Plas, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Kris Verheyen, Eric Allan, Raquel Benavides, Helge Bruelheide, Bettina Ohse, Alain Paquette, Evy Ampoorter, Cristina C. Bastias, Jürgen Bauhus, Damien Bonal, Olivier Bouriaud, Filippo Bussotti, Monique Carnol, Bastien Castagneyrol, Ewa ChećkoSeid Muhie Dawud, Hans De Wandeler, Timo Domisch, Leena Finér, Markus Fischer, Mariangela Fotelli, Arthur Gessler, André Granier, Charlotte Grossiord, Virginie Guyot, Stephan Hättenschwiler, Hervé Jactel, Bogdan Jaroszewicz, François-Xavier Joly, Stephan Kambach, Simon Kolb, Julia Koricheva, Mario Liebersgesell, Harriet Milligan, Sandra Müller, Bart Muys, Diem Nguyen, Charles Nock, Martina Pollastrini, Oliver Purschke, Kalliopi Radoglou, Karsten Raulund-Rasmussen, Fabian Roger, Paloma Ruiz-Benito, Rupert Seidl, Federico Selvi, Ian Seiferling, Jan Stenlid, Fernando Valladares, Lars Vesterdal, Lander Baeten

Forest, Nature and Biomass

109 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The importance of biodiversity in supporting ecosystem functioning is generally well accepted. However, most evidence comes from small-scale studies, and scaling-up patterns of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (B-EF) remains challenging, in part because the importance of environmental factors in shaping B-EF relations is poorly understood. Using a forest research platform in which 26 ecosystem functions were measured along gradients of tree species richness in six regions across Europe, we investigated the extent and the potential drivers of context dependency of B-EF relations. Despite considerable variation in species richness effects across the continent, we found a tendency for stronger B-EF relations in drier climates as well as in areas with longer growing seasons and more functionally diverse tree species. The importance of water availability in driving context dependency suggests that as water limitation increases under climate change, biodiversity may become even more important to support high levels of functioning in European forests.

Original language	English
Journal	Ecology Letters
Volume	20
Issue number	11
Pages (from-to)	1414-1426
Number of pages	13
ISSN	1461-0248
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12849
Publication status	Published - Nov 2017

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Ratcliffe, S., Wirth, C., Jucker, T., van der Plas, F., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Verheyen, K., Allan, E., Benavides, R., Bruelheide, H., Ohse, B., Paquette, A., Ampoorter, E., Bastias, C. C., Bauhus, J., Bonal, D., Bouriaud, O., Bussotti, F., Carnol, M., Castagneyrol, B., ... Baeten, L. (2017). Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context. Ecology Letters, 20(11), 1414-1426. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12849

Ratcliffe, S, Wirth, C, Jucker, T, van der Plas, F, Scherer-Lorenzen, M, Verheyen, K, Allan, E, Benavides, R, Bruelheide, H, Ohse, B, Paquette, A, Ampoorter, E, Bastias, CC, Bauhus, J, Bonal, D, Bouriaud, O, Bussotti, F, Carnol, M, Castagneyrol, B, Chećko, E, Dawud, SM, Wandeler, HD, Domisch, T, Finér, L, Fischer, M, Fotelli, M, Gessler, A, Granier, A, Grossiord, C, Guyot, V, Hättenschwiler, S, Jactel, H, Jaroszewicz, B, Joly, F-X, Kambach, S, Kolb, S, Koricheva, J, Liebersgesell, M, Milligan, H, Müller, S, Muys, B, Nguyen, D, Nock, C, Pollastrini, M, Purschke, O, Radoglou, K, Raulund-Rasmussen, K, Roger, F, Ruiz-Benito, P, Seidl, R, Selvi, F, Seiferling, I, Stenlid, J, Valladares, F, Vesterdal, L & Baeten, L 2017, 'Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context', Ecology Letters, vol. 20, no. 11, pp. 1414-1426. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12849

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abstract = "The importance of biodiversity in supporting ecosystem functioning is generally well accepted. However, most evidence comes from small-scale studies, and scaling-up patterns of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (B-EF) remains challenging, in part because the importance of environmental factors in shaping B-EF relations is poorly understood. Using a forest research platform in which 26 ecosystem functions were measured along gradients of tree species richness in six regions across Europe, we investigated the extent and the potential drivers of context dependency of B-EF relations. Despite considerable variation in species richness effects across the continent, we found a tendency for stronger B-EF relations in drier climates as well as in areas with longer growing seasons and more functionally diverse tree species. The importance of water availability in driving context dependency suggests that as water limitation increases under climate change, biodiversity may become even more important to support high levels of functioning in European forests.",

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AU - Wirth, Christian

AU - Jucker, Tommaso

AU - van der Plas, Fons

AU - Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael

AU - Verheyen, Kris

AU - Allan, Eric

AU - Benavides, Raquel

AU - Bruelheide, Helge

AU - Ohse, Bettina

AU - Paquette, Alain

AU - Ampoorter, Evy

AU - Bastias, Cristina C.

AU - Bauhus, Jürgen

AU - Bonal, Damien

AU - Bouriaud, Olivier

AU - Bussotti, Filippo

AU - Carnol, Monique

AU - Castagneyrol, Bastien

AU - Chećko, Ewa

AU - Dawud, Seid Muhie

AU - Wandeler, Hans De

AU - Domisch, Timo

AU - Finér, Leena

AU - Fischer, Markus

AU - Fotelli, Mariangela

AU - Gessler, Arthur

AU - Granier, André

AU - Grossiord, Charlotte

AU - Guyot, Virginie

AU - Hättenschwiler, Stephan

AU - Jactel, Hervé

AU - Jaroszewicz, Bogdan

AU - Joly, François-Xavier

AU - Kambach, Stephan

AU - Kolb, Simon

AU - Koricheva, Julia

AU - Liebersgesell, Mario

AU - Milligan, Harriet

AU - Müller, Sandra

AU - Muys, Bart

AU - Nguyen, Diem

AU - Nock, Charles

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AU - Purschke, Oliver

AU - Radoglou, Kalliopi

AU - Raulund-Rasmussen, Karsten

AU - Roger, Fabian

AU - Ruiz-Benito, Paloma

AU - Seidl, Rupert

AU - Selvi, Federico

AU - Seiferling, Ian

AU - Stenlid, Jan

AU - Valladares, Fernando

AU - Vesterdal, Lars

AU - Baeten, Lander

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AB - The importance of biodiversity in supporting ecosystem functioning is generally well accepted. However, most evidence comes from small-scale studies, and scaling-up patterns of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (B-EF) remains challenging, in part because the importance of environmental factors in shaping B-EF relations is poorly understood. Using a forest research platform in which 26 ecosystem functions were measured along gradients of tree species richness in six regions across Europe, we investigated the extent and the potential drivers of context dependency of B-EF relations. Despite considerable variation in species richness effects across the continent, we found a tendency for stronger B-EF relations in drier climates as well as in areas with longer growing seasons and more functionally diverse tree species. The importance of water availability in driving context dependency suggests that as water limitation increases under climate change, biodiversity may become even more important to support high levels of functioning in European forests.

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DO - 10.1111/ele.12849

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28925074

SN - 1461-023X

VL - 20

SP - 1414

EP - 1426

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

IS - 11

ER -

Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning relations in European forests depend on environmental context

Abstract

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