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Quantifying the net effect of biodiversity on ecological stability
Charlotte Kunze1,2, Maren Striebel3, Dominik Bahlburg4,5
1Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), School of Mathematics and Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany. charlotte.kunze@hifmb.de.
Nature Communications
|July 7, 2026
Summary
Biodiversity enhances ecosystem stability, exceeding expected levels. This net biodiversity effect on stability, crucial for management, is non-linear and depends on species interactions and environmental conditions.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
Background:
- The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning/stability is a long-standing ecological question.
- While biodiversity's effect on functioning is measurable, an equivalent for stability is lacking.
- Quantifying biodiversity's impact on stability is vital for ecosystem management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the net biodiversity effect on ecological stability.
- To compare model simulations with microcosm experiments for validating findings.
- To understand how biodiversity influences stability under varying environmental conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized model simulations and a microcosm experiment with phytoplankton communities.
- Exposed diverse phytoplankton species and combinations to temperature changes and fluctuations.
- Quantified stability by comparing expected and observed community resilience.
Main Results:
- Biodiversity frequently confers stability exceeding the sum of its parts (net biodiversity effect).
- Simulations showed effects depend on competitive interactions, species composition, and thermal optima.
- Experiments revealed a non-linear, greatest effect in two-species combinations, varying with composition and disturbance.
Conclusions:
- A quantifiable net biodiversity effect on stability exists, analogous to functioning.
- Biodiversity's stabilizing role is complex, influenced by community structure and environmental stress.
- This research provides critical insights for ecosystem management and conservation strategies.
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