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Limited evidence for spatial resource partitioning across temperate grassland biodiversity experiments
Author(s) -
Barry Kathryn E.,
Ruijven Jasper,
Mommer Liesje,
Bai Yongfei,
Beierkuhnlein Carl,
Buchmann Nina,
Kroon Hans,
Ebeling Anne,
Eisenhauer Nico,
GuimarãesSteinicke Claudia,
Hildebrandt Anke,
Isbell Forest,
Milcu Alexandru,
Neßhöver Carsten,
Reich Peter B.,
Roscher Christiane,
Sauheitl Leopold,
SchererLorenzen Michael,
Schmid Bernhard,
Tilman David,
Felten Stefanie,
Weigelt Alexandra
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1002/ecy.2905
Subject(s) - species richness , biomass (ecology) , ecosystem , ecology , resource (disambiguation) , biodiversity , grassland , spatial heterogeneity , temperate climate , spatial ecology , plant community , environmental science , spatial variability , biology , computer network , statistics , mathematics , computer science
Locally, plant species richness supports many ecosystem functions. Yet, the mechanisms driving these often‐positive biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships are not well understood. Spatial resource partitioning across vertical resource gradients is one of the main hypothesized causes for enhanced ecosystem functioning in more biodiverse grasslands. Spatial resource partitioning occurs if species differ in where they acquire resources and can happen both above‐ and belowground. However, studies investigating spatial resource partitioning in grasslands provide inconsistent evidence. We present the results of a meta‐analysis of 21 data sets from experimental species‐richness gradients in grasslands. We test the hypothesis that increasing spatial resource partitioning along vertical resource gradients enhances ecosystem functioning in diverse grassland plant communities above‐ and belowground . To test this hypothesis, we asked three questions. (1) Does species richness enhance biomass production or community resource uptake across sites? (2) Is there evidence of spatial resource partitioning as indicated by resource tracer uptake and biomass allocation above‐ and belowground? (3) Is evidence of spatial resource partitioning correlated with increased biomass production or community resource uptake? Although plant species richness enhanced community nitrogen and potassium uptake and biomass production above‐ and belowground, we found that plant communities did not meet our criteria for spatial resource partitioning, though they did invest in significantly more aboveground biomass in higher canopy layers in mixture relative to monoculture. Furthermore, the extent of spatial resource partitioning across studies was not positively correlated with either biomass production or community resource uptake. Our results suggest that spatial resource partitioning across vertical resource gradients alone does not offer a general explanation for enhanced ecosystem functioning in more diverse temperate grasslands.