title: Biotic homogenization can decrease landscape-scale forest multifunctionality.
abstract: Many experiments have shown that local biodiversity loss impairs the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple ecosystem functions at high levels (multifunctionality). In contrast, the role of biodiversity in driving ecosystem multifunctionality at landscape scales remains unresolved. We used a comprehensive pan-European dataset, including 16 ecosystem functions measured in 209 forest plots across six European countries, and performed simulations to investigate how local plot-scale richness of tree species (α-diversity) and their turnover between plots (β-diversity) are related to landscape-scale multifunctionality. After accounting for variation in environmental conditions, we found that relationships between α-diversity and landscape-scale multifunctionality varied from positive to negative depending on the multifunctionality metric used. In contrast, when significant, relationships between β-diversity and landscape-scale multifunctionality were always positive, because a high spatial turnover in species composition was closely related to a high spatial turnover in functions that were supported at high levels. Our findings have major implications for forest management and indicate that biotic homogenization can have previously unrecognized and negative consequences for large-scale ecosystem multifunctionality.
authors.affiliation: Plant Ecology Group, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland; Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; fonsvanderplas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fons
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van der Plas
authors.affiliation: Plant Ecology Group, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland; Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany;
authors.forename: Pete
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Manning
authors.affiliation: Plant Ecology Group, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland;
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soliveres
authors.affiliation: Plant Ecology Group, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland;
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Allan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology/Geobotany, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany;
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scherer-Lorenzen
authors.affiliation: Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Forest and Water Management, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Verheyen
authors.affiliation: Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity Study Group, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.affiliation: Forest Ecology and Restoration Group, Department of Life Sciences, University de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain;
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Zavala
authors.affiliation: Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Forest and Water Management, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
authors.forename: Evy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ampoorter
authors.affiliation: Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Forest and Water Management, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium;
authors.forename: Lander
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baeten
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés (BIOGECO), F-33610 Cestas, France; University of Bordeaux, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, F-33600 Pessac, France;
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barbaro
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany;
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauhus
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology/Geobotany, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany;
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benavides
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg, Germany;
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benneter
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR Ecologie et Écophysiologie Forestières, 54280 Champenoux, France;
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonal
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Forestry, Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Suceava 720229, Romania;
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bouriaud
authors.affiliation: German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06108 Halle, Germany;
authors.forename: Helge
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bruelheide
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied and Environmental Botany, Department of Agri-Food Production and Environmental Science, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy;
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bussotti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant and Microbial Ecology, Department of Biology, Ecology, Evolution, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium;
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carnol
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés (BIOGECO), F-33610 Cestas, France; University of Bordeaux, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, F-33600 Pessac, France;
authors.forename: Bastien
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Castagneyrol
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés (BIOGECO), F-33610 Cestas, France; University of Bordeaux, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, F-33600 Pessac, France;
authors.forename: Yohan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Charbonnier
authors.affiliation: Forest Ecology and Conservation, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EA Cambridge, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: David Anthony
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8261-2582
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Coomes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied and Environmental Botany, Department of Agri-Food Production and Environmental Science, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy;
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coppi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 28006 Madrid, Spain;
authors.forename: Cristina C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Bastias
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;
authors.forename: Seid Muhie
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dawud
authors.affiliation: Division of Forest, Nature, and Landscape, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium;
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: De Wandeler
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Institute Finland, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland;
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Domisch
authors.affiliation: Natural Resources Institute Finland, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland;
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Finér
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland;
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1910-9589
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gessler
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR Ecologie et Écophysiologie Forestières, 54280 Champenoux, France;
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Granier
authors.affiliation: Earth and Environmental Sciences Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545;
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grossiord
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés (BIOGECO), F-33610 Cestas, France; University of Bordeaux, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, F-33600 Pessac, France; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, UMR 1201, Dynamics and Ecology of Forest Landscapes, F-31326 Castanet-Tolosan, France;
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Guyot
authors.affiliation: Centre of Evolutionary and Functional Ecology UMR 5175-University of Montpellier-University Paul-Valéry Montpellier-École Pratique des Hautes Études, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France;
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hättenschwiler
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés (BIOGECO), F-33610 Cestas, France; University of Bordeaux, UMR 1202, Biodiversité Gènes et Communautés, F-33600 Pessac, France;
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jactel
authors.affiliation: Białowieża Geobotanical Station, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland;
authors.forename: Bogdan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jaroszewicz
authors.affiliation: Centre of Evolutionary and Functional Ecology UMR 5175-University of Montpellier-University Paul-Valéry Montpellier-École Pratique des Hautes Études, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France;
authors.forename: François-Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Joly
authors.affiliation: Forest Ecology and Conservation, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EA Cambridge, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jucker
authors.affiliation: Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, TW20 0EX Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koricheva
authors.affiliation: Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, TW20 0EX Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Harriet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Milligan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology/Geobotany, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany;
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Division of Forest, Nature, and Landscape, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium;
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muys
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden;
authors.forename: Diem
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied and Environmental Botany, Department of Agri-Food Production and Environmental Science, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy;
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pollastrini
authors.affiliation: Systematic Botany and Functional Biodiversity Study Group, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ratcliffe
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raulund-Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied and Environmental Botany, Department of Agri-Food Production and Environmental Science, University of Florence, 50144 Firenze, Italy;
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Selvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden;
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stenlid
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain;
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valladares
authors.affiliation: Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark;
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vesterdal
authors.affiliation: Białowieża Geobotanical Station, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland;
authors.forename: Dawid
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zielínski
authors.affiliation: Plant Ecology Group, Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland; Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany; Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fischer
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016208:Databases, Factual; D017753:Ecosystem; D005060:Europe; D016468:Forestry; D065928:Forests; D008954:Models, Biological; D014197:Trees
keywords: FunDivEUROPE; biodiversity; ecosystem functioning; spatial scale; β-diversity