Trophic complementarity drives the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship in food webs

Area of Science:

• Community ecology
• Ecosystem science
• Theoretical ecology

Background:

• The biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationship is a core concept in community ecology.
• Drivers like sampling effect and functional complementarity are understood in simple systems, but not complex ones.
• Ecological networks offer a framework to study BEF drivers by integrating species richness and biomass flow.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define and investigate trophic complementarity (TC) as a driver of ecosystem functioning.
• To assess the contribution of TC, arising from exploitative and apparent competition, to ecosystem functioning.
• To develop a theoretical understanding of how interaction diversity influences ecosystem processes.

Main Methods:

• Developed a model of trophic community dynamics.
• Defined trophic complementarity (TC) based on network interaction structures.
• Analyzed the relationship between TC, species richness, and ecosystem functioning measures.

Main Results:

• Trophic complementarity (TC) was shown to predict multiple measures of ecosystem functioning.
• The study generated several testable predictions regarding TC and ecosystem processes.
• Species interaction structure, beyond mere species richness, is crucial for predicting ecosystem productivity.

Conclusions:

• Trophic complementarity (TC) is a key factor in understanding the BEF relationship in complex ecosystems.
• Ecological network structure, specifically interaction diversity, significantly impacts ecosystem functioning.
• Future research should integrate interaction network analysis to better predict ecosystem productivity.