Premium
The function‐dominance correlation drives the direction and strength of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships
Author(s) -
Crawford Michael S.,
Barry Kathryn E.,
Clark Adam T.,
Farrior Caroline E.,
Hines Jes,
Ladouceur Emma,
Lichstein Jeremy W.,
Maréchaux Isabelle,
May Felix,
Mori Akira S.,
Reineking Björn,
Turnbull Lindsay A.,
Wirth Christian,
Rüger Nadja
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.13776
Subject(s) - species richness , dominance (genetics) , biodiversity , ecosystem , ecology , species diversity , biology , positive correlation , biochemistry , gene , medicine
Community composition is a primary determinant of how biodiversity change influences ecosystem functioning and, therefore, the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF). We examine the consequences of community composition across six structurally realistic plant community models. We find that a positive correlation between species’ functioning in monoculture versus their dominance in mixture with regard to a specific function (the “function‐dominance correlation”) generates a positive relationship between realised diversity and ecosystem functioning across species richness treatments. However, because realised diversity declines when few species dominate, a positive function‐dominance correlation generates a negative relationship between realised diversity and ecosystem functioning within species richness treatments. Removing seed inflow strengthens the link between the function–dominance correlation and BEF relationships across species richness treatments but weakens it within them. These results suggest that changes in species’ identities in a local species pool may more strongly affect ecosystem functioning than changes in species richness.