Pathways for cross-boundary effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning

Michael Scherer-Lorenzen; Mark O Gessner; Beatrix E Beisner; Christian Messier; Alain Paquette; Jana S Petermann; Janne Soininen; Charles A Nock

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2021.12.009

Pathways for cross-boundary effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning

Trends Ecol Evol. 2022 May;37(5):454-467. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.12.009. Epub 2022 Jan 19.

Authors

Michael Scherer-Lorenzen¹, Mark O Gessner², Beatrix E Beisner³, Christian Messier⁴, Alain Paquette⁵, Jana S Petermann⁶, Janne Soininen⁷, Charles A Nock⁸

Affiliations

¹ Geobotany, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: michael.scherer@biologie.uni-freiburg.de.
² Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Zur alten Fischerhütte 2, 16775 Stechlin, Germany; Department of Ecology, (,)Berlin Institute of Technology (TU Berlin), Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, Germany; Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Altensteinstraße 34, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
³ Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8; Interuniversity Research Group in Limnology (GRIL), Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Campus MIL, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3J7.
⁴ Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8; Centre for Forest Research (CFR), Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8; Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée (ISFORT), Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO), 58, Rue Principale, Ripon, Québec, Canada, JOV 1V0.
⁵ Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8; Centre for Forest Research (CFR), Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8.
⁶ Department of Biosciences, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunner Str. 34, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
⁷ Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
⁸ Geobotany, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestr. 1, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Renewable Resources, Faculty of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2H1.

PMID: 35065823
DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.12.009

Abstract

The biodiversity-ecosystem functioning concept asserts that processes in ecosystems are markedly influenced by species richness and other facets of biodiversity. However, biodiversity-ecosystem functioning studies have been largely restricted to single ecosystems, ignoring the importance of functional links - such as the exchange of matter, energy, and organisms - between coupled ecosystems. Here we present a basic concept and outline three pathways of cross-boundary biodiversity effects on ecosystem processes and propose an agenda to assess such effects, focusing on terrestrial-aquatic linkages to illustrate the case. This cross-boundary perspective of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships presents a promising frontier for biodiversity and ecosystem science with repercussions for the conservation, restoration, and management of biodiversity and ecosystems from local to landscape scales.

Keywords: biodiversity–ecosystem functioning; cross-system/reciprocal subsidies; meta-ecosystem; terrestrial–aquatic linkages.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biodiversity*
Ecosystem*