Spatial and temporal variation of ecosystem properties at macroscales

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Environmental Science
• Ecosystem Dynamics

Background:

• Ecological studies often focus on spatial and temporal variation, but macroscale ecosystem properties remain understudied.
• Key knowledge gaps exist for ecosystem properties related to material and energy flow at large spatial extents.

Discussion:

• This study analyzed spatial (local and regional) and temporal (local and coherent) variation in ecosystem properties across a macroscale extent.
• Bayesian hierarchical models were used with extensive observational data spanning over two decades.

Key Insights:

• Spatial variation is substantial at both local and regional scales, with roughly equal contributions.
• Annual temporal variation is predominantly local, not coherent across the landscape.
• Spatial variation in ecosystem properties is generally larger than temporal variation.

Outlook:

• Predicting ecosystem responses to environmental change at macroscales necessitates accounting for dominant local and regional spatial signals.
• Future research should integrate macroscale spatial dynamics into ecological forecasting models.