Society is experiencing loss of biodiversity in species trait diversity, as well as shifts in the degree of shared evolutionary history within ecological assemblages. As biodiversity is the foundation for nearly all ecosystem services, the known relationships between biodiversity and material cycling likely inform the translation into ecosystem services. As the concept of the ecosystem service is of interest not only to scientists but also to policy makers and stakeholders, understanding the relationship between these three components is of keen interest to scientists and practitioners alike. The goal of this session is to bring together experts in biodiversity science to discuss how their findings on how taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity inform the patterns and processes involved in regulating rates of ecosystem functions and services. This discussion aligns well with the theme of the Annual Meeting, and is timely given the emphasis Portland places on sustainability in general.