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Abstract Although the positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and stability have been extensively documented in the literature, previous studies have mostly explored the mechanisms of functioning and stability independently. It is unclear how biodiversity effects on functioning may covary with those on stability.Here we developed an integrated framework to explore links between mechanisms underlying biodiversity effects on functioning and those on stability. Specifically, biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning were partitioned into complementarity effects (CE) and selection effects (SE), and those on stability were partitioned into species asynchrony and species stability. We investigated howCEandSEwere linked to species asynchrony and stability and how their links might be mediated by species evenness, using a multi‐site grassland experiment.Our mixed‐effects models showed that a higher community productivity was mainly due toCEand a higher community stability was mainly due to species asynchrony. Moreover,CEwas positively related to species asynchrony, thus leading to a positive association between ecosystem productivity and stability.We used a structural equation model to illustrate how species evenness might mediate links between the various mechanisms. Communities with a higher evenness exhibited a higherCEand species asynchrony, but a lowerSEand species stability. These evenness‐mediated associations enhanced the positive relationship betweenCEand species asynchrony, but blurred that betweenSEand species asynchrony.Synthesis. Our findings demonstrate mechanistic links between biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning and stability. By doing so, our study contributes a novel framework for understanding ecological mechanisms of the functioning–stability relationship, which has important implications for developing management plans focused on strengthening synergies between ecosystem functioning and stability over the long term.
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This content will become publicly available on December 1, 2026
Nitrogen and CO2 enrichment interact to decrease biodiversity impact on complementarity and selection effects
Abstract Global environmental change is causing a decline in biodiversity with profound implications for ecosystem functioning and stability. It remains unclear how global change factors interact to influence the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning and stability. Here, using data from a 24-year experiment, we investigate the impacts of nitrogen (N) addition, enriched CO2(eCO2), and their interactions on the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship (complementarity effects and selection effects), the biodiversity-ecosystem stability relationship (species asynchrony and species stability), and their connections. We show that biodiversity remains positively related to both ecosystem productivity (functioning) and its stability under N addition and eCO2. However, the combination of N addition and eCO2diminishes the effects of biodiversity on complementarity and selection effects. In contrast, N addition and eCO2do not alter the relationship between biodiversity and either species asynchrony or species stability. Under ambient conditions, both complementarity and selection effects are negatively related to species asynchrony, but neither are related to species stability; these links persist under N addition and eCO2. Our study offers insights into the underlying processes that sustain functioning and stability of biodiverse ecosystems in the face of global change.
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- PAR ID:
- 10632448
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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