Relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning varies significantly across different spatial scales

For a long time, diversity-biomass relationships (DBRs) in terrestrial ecosystems tend to vary across spatial scales, but, particularly in hyperdiverse forests, the mechanisms driving these trends remain uncertain. Until now, few have simultaneously investigated the connections between tree species diversity, stand structural diversity, mycorrhizal associations, and ecosystem functioning. In addition, DBRs have only been studied at limited spatial scales, with limited focus on the direct and indirect effects of environmental factors. In a study recently published in the journal Forest Ecosystems, a group of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Forestry, The researchers utilized large, permanently monitored plots. outline the The critical role of spatial scale in influencing the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, as well as the variability in its driving factors. This emphasizes the importance of environmental factors, stand structural diversity and mycorrhizal associations in shaping the scale-dependent characteristics of diversity-biodiversity relationships (DBRs). These findings are of great significance for researchers aiming to deepen their understanding of the complex, cross-scale relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in natural ecosystems.

"Previous studies have often been limited to smaller spatial scales. In contrast, our research utilized a broader range of scales, allowing us to investigate the scale-dependent characteristics and underlying mechanisms of diversity-biodiversity relationships (DBRs) in a monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest ecosystem across a continuum of spatial variations. This approach provides new insights for ecologists, highlighting the crucial importance of spatial scale in DBR studies," explains lead author of the study's authors, Rui Zhang, Doctoral student in Forest Ecology, Chinese Academy of Forestry. "This study emphasizes the crucial role that spatial scale plays in the study of DBRs and elucidates critical variation in the associations between diversity, environmental factors, and ecosystem functioning along a gradient of spatial extents."

According to lead author Rui Zhang, “the study's findings have significant implications that although previous studies have found that diversity positively affects forest biomass and productivity at local scales, it is evident from this finding that these effects cannot be generalized and expected at greater spatial extents, especially those relevant to conservation and forestry practices. We believe that considering the role of environmental conditions, structural diversity (i.e., stand composition), and mycorrhizal associations in cross-scale studies of DBRs will enable a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying scale-dependency in DBRs in complex natural ecosystems moving forward.”

See the article: Rui Zhang, et al., Diversity-biomass relationships are shaped by tree mycorrhizal associations and stand structural diversity at different spatial scales, Forest Ecosystems, Volume 11, 2024, 100234, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fecs.2024.100234.