Consistent drivers of plant biodiversity across managed ecosystems.
Ecosystems managed for production of biomass are often characterized by low biodiversity because management aims to optimize single ecosystem functions (i.e. yield) involving deliberate selection of species or cultivars. In consequence, considerable differences in observed plant species richness and productivity remain across systems, and the drivers of these differences have remained poorly resolved so far. In addition, it has remained unclear if species richness feeds back on ecosystem functions such as yield in real-world systems. Here, we establish N = 360 experimental plots across a broad range of managed ecosystems in several European countries, and use structural equation models to unravel potential drivers of plant species richness. We hypothesize that the relationships between productivity, total biomass and observed species richness are affected by management intensity, and that these effects differ between habitat types (dry grasslands, grasslands, and wetlands). We found that local management was an important driver of species richness across systems. Management caused system disturbance, resulting in reduced productivity yet enhanced total biomass. Plant species richness was directly and positively driven by management, with consistently negative effects of total biomass. Productivity effects on richness were positive, negative or neutral. Our study shows that management and total biomass drive plant species richness across real-world managed systems.
Landscape Ecology Group, University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany vanessa.minden@uni-oldenburg.de.
Vanessa
V
Minden
DNPW, Agroecology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany christoph.scherber@uni.muenster.de.
Christoph
C
Scherber
Landscape Ecology Group, University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
Miguel A
MA
Cebrián Piqueras
Landscape Ecology Group, University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
Juliane
J
Trinogga
Institute of Biology and Chemistry, University of Hildesheim, 31141 Hildesheim, Germany.
Anastasia
A
Trenkamp
Institute of Biology and Chemistry, University of Hildesheim, 31141 Hildesheim, Germany.
Jasmin
J
Mantilla-Contreras
Landscape Ecology Group, University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
Patrick
P
Lienin
Landscape Ecology Group, University of Oldenburg, 26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
Michael
M
Kleyer
D044822:Biodiversity; D018533:Biomass; D005060:Europe; D065948:Grassland; D008954:Models, Biological; D010944:Plants; D053833:Wetlands
diversity-productivity; land-use; plant community biomass; plant species richness; production system; structural equation modelling