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Linking aboveground and belowground diversity.

Gerlinde B De Deyn1, Wim H Van der Putten

  • 1Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, On, Canada, N1G 2W1. gerlindede@gmail.com

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Global biodiversity patterns differ between aboveground and belowground organisms, with size-related gradients influencing ecosystem functioning. Understanding these linkages requires scale-relevant surveys and acknowledging habitat differences.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Biodiversity Science
  • Ecosystem Science

Background:

  • Aboveground and belowground species interactions are crucial for local ecosystem properties.
  • The scaling of these interactions to regional and global scales remains poorly understood.
  • Biodiversity gradients and habitat characteristics can vary significantly between aboveground and belowground realms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize current knowledge on aboveground-belowground diversity linkages across spatial scales.
  • To investigate how organism size influences global biodiversity patterns in aboveground-belowground interactions.
  • To highlight the need for scale-relevant ecological surveys for generalizing biodiversity relationships.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of existing global and local-scale studies on aboveground-belowground biodiversity.
  • Analysis of biodiversity patterns in relation to organism size and geographical location (Equator-ward gradients).
  • Discussion of methodological considerations for studying biodiversity linkages across scales.

Main Results:

  • Global biodiversity peaks towards the Equator for large, aboveground organisms.
  • This equatorial diversity peak is not observed for small, predominantly belowground organisms.
  • Evidence suggests size-related biodiversity gradients in global aboveground-belowground linkages.

Conclusions:

  • Generalizing aboveground-belowground diversity relationships and their ecosystem functioning requires acknowledging organism size and scale-dependent habitat differences.
  • Future research must employ surveys at scales relevant to the organisms and ecosystem properties studied.
  • Recognizing differing biodiversity gradients and plant community trait perceptions is essential for understanding these linkages.