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Biotic homogenization destabilizes ecosystem functioning by decreasing spatial asynchrony.

Shaopeng Wang1, Michel Loreau2, Claire de Mazancourt2

  • 1Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Higher spatial biodiversity (β diversity) enhances ecosystem stability by creating asynchronous dynamics. Conserving biodiversity across all scales is crucial for maintaining ecosystem functions and services.

Keywords:
biotic homogenizationgrassland experimentlandscapescalespatial asynchronyβ diversityγ diversityγ stability

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science
  • Conservation Biology

Background:

  • Local biodiversity loss (α diversity) negatively impacts ecosystem stability.
  • Consequences of biodiversity changes at larger spatial scales, like biotic homogenization (reduced β diversity), are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of β diversity on landscape-scale ecosystem stability.
  • To compare the relative contributions of α and β diversity to ecosystem stability.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 39 grassland biodiversity experiments.
  • Examined the effects of β diversity on simulated landscape stability.
  • Controlled for confounding biotic and abiotic factors.

Main Results:

  • Increased β diversity leads to more asynchronous local community dynamics.
  • Higher β diversity enhances the stability of ecosystem productivity at larger spatial scales.
  • α diversity showed a stronger effect on stability, potentially due to experimental scale.

Conclusions:

  • Higher β diversity stabilizes ecosystem functions at landscape scales.
  • Biotic homogenization has destabilizing effects on ecosystems.
  • Biodiversity conservation across multiple spatial scales is essential for maintaining ecosystem stability and services.