title: Real world biodiversity-ecosystem functioning: a seafloor perspective.
abstract: The effective application of biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) research to societal needs amid the Anthropocene represents the next grand challenge for ecology. Biodiversity knowledge that is most meaningful to society must reconcile insights derived from theory with detailed experiments and broad-scale trends. This perspective requires science that addresses high species richness, redundancy, and natural variability, which simplified 'model systems' cannot mimic. Here, we illustrate solutions of biodiversity knowledge to management and societal problems that combine BEF with scaling experiments, analysis of BEF along environmental gradients, and mapping technologies. We primarily draw examples from biophysical interactions in seafloor environments, which cover 70% of the Earth and add significantly to global ecosystem functions and services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ocean Sciences and Biology Department, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada. Electronic address: psnelgro@mun.ca.
authors.forename: Paul V R
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Snelgrove
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Research, PO Box 11-115, Hamilton 3251, New Zealand; Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92091, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Simon F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Thrush
authors.affiliation: School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1036, USA.
authors.forename: Diana H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.affiliation: Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, 10900 Hanko, Finland; Marine Research Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, 00251 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Alf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Norkko
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D008954:Models, Biological; D009792:Oceans and Seas
keywords: biodiversity; ecosystem function; gradients; invertebrates; marine; multifunctionality; scaling; sediments