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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 11, 2026

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

Experimental evidence that evolutionarily diverse assemblages result in higher productivity.

Marc W Cadotte¹

¹Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada M1C 1A4. mcadotte@utsc.utoronto.ca

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

|May 16, 2013

Summary

Combining distantly related species in plant assemblages boosts biomass production and ecosystem services. This approach maximizes function and aids conservation by leveraging evolutionary diversity for ecological benefits.

Keywords:

biodiversity phylogenetic diversity transgressive overyielding

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Restoration Ecology

Background:

Biodiversity enhances ecosystem productivity and services.
Current research lacks predictive power for selecting species combinations that maximize ecosystem function.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how evolutionary relatedness influences plant species complementarity and biomass production across a richness gradient.
To determine if evolutionary relatedness can predict functional outcomes in plant assemblages.

Main Methods:

An experiment was conducted manipulating the evolutionary relatedness of plant species within assemblages.
Species richness was varied across experimental plots.
Biomass production was measured to assess ecosystem function.

Main Results:

Assemblages with distantly related species exhibited the highest biomass production, exceeding predictions from monocultures.
Species in close-relative assemblages produced biomass amounts consistent with monoculture yields.
Species complementarity, driven by evolutionary relatedness, was the key mechanism for enhanced productivity.

Conclusions:

Distantly related species combinations are most effective for maximizing biomass production and carbon sequestration in ecological restoration.
Integrating evolutionary history into landscape management can optimize ecosystem function.
This approach merges biodiversity conservation with the enhancement of ecosystem services.