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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Ecosystem Fabrication EcoFAB Protocols for The Construction of Laboratory Ecosystems Designed to Study Plant-microbe Interactions

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Redefining ecosystem multifunctionality.

Peter Manning¹, Fons van der Plas^2,3, Santiago Soliveres⁴

¹Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325, Frankfurt, Germany. peter.manning@senckenberg.de.

Nature Ecology & Evolution

|February 18, 2018

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Ecosystem multifunctionality, crucial for biodiversity and land management, is redefined into two levels: function and service. This framework offers robust measures for ecological science and management.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Conservation Biology

Background:

Ecosystem multifunctionality research has surged, developing separately within biodiversity-ecosystem function and land management fields.
The concept integrates diverse ecological processes and their management implications.
Previous research often lacked a unified framework for assessing multifunctionality.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically evaluate the concept of ecosystem multifunctionality.
To propose a redefined framework for understanding and measuring multifunctionality.
To bridge the gap between fundamental ecological science and practical land management.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis and synthesis of existing literature on ecosystem multifunctionality.
Redefinition of multifunctionality into two distinct, yet related, levels: function and service.
Development of a framework for robust and quantifiable multifunctionality measures.

Main Results:

Ecosystem multifunctionality is advanced by recognizing two levels: ecosystem function multifunctionality and ecosystem service multifunctionality.
A clear framework is presented to guide future research and application.
The proposed measures are designed to be robust, quantifiable, and relevant for both science and management.

Conclusions:

The redefined concept of ecosystem multifunctionality provides a unified approach.
This framework facilitates the development of effective tools for ecological assessment and land management.
Integrating function and service multifunctionality is key for holistic ecosystem understanding and sustainable practices.