COS 132-2
Beta-diversity, not alpha-diversity, is the most important driver of high multifunctionality in natural European forests
Recent studies on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning have demonstrated the importance of a high diversity for maintaining multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously at high performance (multifunctionality). However, these studies have mostly been carried out with experimental, artificial grassland communities. Evidence whether diversity also promotes multifunctionality in natural forest systems is mostly lacking. Furthermore, it is unknown at which scale diversity has its strongest effect on multifunctionality in natural systems. Here, with the FunDivEurope research consortium, we collected data on tree diversity and multiple ecosystem functions (e.g. productivity, decomposition, pathogen and herbivore resistance, tree regeneration) in 209 forest plots spread over six different countries (from the Mediterranean to the boreal) in Europe. We investigated how both α, β and γ diversity affect multifunctionality.
Results/Conclusions
We found that abiotic factors and community composition were mostly driving multifunctionality at the local scale, while α diversity per se hardly has hardly any effect on multifunctionality. These results were irrespective of threshold definitions of ‘high multifunctionality’. At the landscape scale, we found that a high turnover in tree community composition (β diversity) increased both the number of ecosystem functions that were at high performance in at least one plot (‘γ multifunctionality’) and the turnover (across plots) in multifunctionality (‘β multifunctionality’). These results suggest that to maintain high multifunctionality at local scales, other factoirs than diversity are important. However, at the landscape scale, a high turnover in community composition of forest trees can help in maintaining as many ecosystem functions as possible.