Locally rare species influence grassland ecosystem multifunctionality.
Species diversity promotes the delivery of multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality). However, the relative functional importance of rare and common species in driving the biodiversity-multifunctionality relationship remains unknown. We studied the relationship between the diversity of rare and common species (according to their local abundances and across nine different trophic groups), and multifunctionality indices derived from 14 ecosystem functions on 150 grasslands across a land-use intensity (LUI) gradient. The diversity of above- and below-ground rare species had opposite effects, with rare above-ground species being associated with high levels of multifunctionality, probably because their effects on different functions did not trade off against each other. Conversely, common species were only related to average, not high, levels of multifunctionality, and their functional effects declined with LUI. Apart from the community-level effects of diversity, we found significant positive associations between the abundance of individual species and multifunctionality in 6% of the species tested. Species-specific functional effects were best predicted by their response to LUI: species that declined in abundance with land use intensification were those associated with higher levels of multifunctionality. Our results highlight the importance of rare species for ecosystem multifunctionality and help guiding future conservation priorities.
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland santiago.soliveres@ips.unibe.ch.
Santiago
0000-0001-9661-7192
S
Soliveres
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BIK-F, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt 60325, Germany.
Peter
P
Manning
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland.
Daniel
D
Prati
Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, Jena 07743, Germany Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising 85354, Germany.
Martin M
MM
Gossner
Geocology, University of Tuebingen, Ruemelinstr. 19-23, Tuebingen 72070, Germany.
Fabian
F
Alt
Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne 50674, Germany.
Hartmut
H
Arndt
Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, Braunschweig 38124, Germany.
Vanessa
V
Baumgartner
Institute for Biology 1, Albert Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Hauptstr. 1, Freiburg 79104, Germany.
Julia
J
Binkenstein
Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Klaus
K
Birkhofer
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland.
Stefan
S
Blaser
Ecological Networks, Biology, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 3, Darmstadt 64287, Germany.
Nico
N
Blüthgen
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland.
Steffen
S
Boch
Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm 89069, Germany.
Stefan
S
Böhm
Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, Göttingen 37077, Germany.
Carmen
C
Börschig
Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Straße 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
Francois
F
Buscot
Department of Landscape Ecology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany.
Tim
T
Diekötter
Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, Potsdam 14469, Germany.
Johannes
J
Heinze
Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, Münster 48149, Germany.
Norbert
N
Hölzel
Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm 89069, Germany.
Kirsten
K
Jung
Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, Münster 48149, Germany.
Valentin H
VH
Klaus
Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Alexandra-Maria
AM
Klein
Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Heisenbergstr. 2, Münster 48149, Germany.
Till
T
Kleinebecker
Department of Soil Ecology, UFZ-Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Theodor-Lieser-Straße 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany.
Sandra
S
Klemmer
Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
Jochen
J
Krauss
Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, Jena 07743, Germany Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knoell-Str. 10, Jena 07745, Germany.
Markus
M
Lange
Department of Biology, Xavier University, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207, USA Institut für Biologie Funktionelle Biodiversität, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin 14195, Germany.
E Kathryn
EK
Morris
Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany, University of Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, Potsdam 14469, Germany.
Jörg
J
Müller
Geocology, University of Tuebingen, Ruemelinstr. 19-23, Tuebingen 72070, Germany.
Yvonne
Y
Oelmann
Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, Braunschweig 38124, Germany.
Jörg
J
Overmann
Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, Jena 07743, Germany.
Esther
E
Pašalić
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA Institute of Zoology, University of Natural Resources and Life Science, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria.
Swen C
SC
Renner
Institut für Biologie Funktionelle Biodiversität, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin 14195, Germany Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin 14195, Germany.
Matthias C
MC
Rillig
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, Freiburg i. Br 79104, Germany.
H Martin
HM
Schaefer
Research Unit for Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, Oberschleissheim 85758, Germany.
Michael
M
Schloter
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland.
Barbara
B
Schmitt
Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knoell-Str. 10, Jena 07745, Germany.
Ingo
I
Schöning
Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knoell-Str. 10, Jena 07745, Germany.
Marion
M
Schrumpf
Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Inhoffenstr. 7B, Braunschweig 38124, Germany.
Johannes
J
Sikorski
Department of Ecology and Evolution, Universität Salzburg, Kapitelgasse, Salzburg 4-65020, Austria.
Stephanie A
SA
Socher
Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knoell-Str. 10, Jena 07745, Germany.
Emily F
EF
Solly
Institut für Biologie Funktionelle Biodiversität, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin 14195, Germany.
Ilja
I
Sonnemann
Geocology, University of Tuebingen, Ruemelinstr. 19-23, Tuebingen 72070, Germany.
Elisabeth
E
Sorkau
Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
Juliane
J
Steckel
Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
Ingolf
I
Steffan-Dewenter
Research Unit for Environmental Genomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, Oberschleissheim 85758, Germany.
Barbara
B
Stempfhuber
Institute of Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm 89069, Germany.
Marco
M
Tschapka
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig 04103, Germany Institute for Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
Manfred
M
Türke
Department of General Ecology, Institute for Zoology, University of Cologne, Cologne 50674, Germany.
Paul
P
Venter
Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
Christiane N
CN
Weiner
Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, Jena 07743, Germany Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising 85354, Germany.
Wolfgang W
WW
Weisser
Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocentre, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, Würzburg 97074, Germany.
Michael
M
Werner
Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Grisebachstr. 6, Göttingen 37077, Germany.
Catrin
C
Westphal
Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Reinhard-Baumeister-Platz 1, Karlsruhe 76131, Germany.
Wolfgang
W
Wilcke
Department of Animal Ecology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Gießen, Germany.
Volkmar
V
Wolters
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, Leipzig 04103, Germany.
Tesfaye
T
Wubet
Institute of Biology, Functional Biodiversity, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 1-3, Berlin 14195, Germany.
Susanne
S
Wurst
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre BIK-F, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt 60325, Germany.
Markus
M
Fischer
Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, Bern 3013, Switzerland.
Eric
E
Allan
D000383:Agriculture; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D005858:Germany; D065948:Grassland; D011156:Population Density
biodiversity; common species; ecosystem function; identity hypothesis; land use; multitrophic