Biodiversity and ecosystem multifunctionality

摘要: Biodiversity loss can affect ecosystem functions and services. Individual generally show a positive asymptotic relationship with increasing biodiversity, suggesting that some species are redundant. However, ecosystems managed conserved for multiple functions, which may require greater biodiversity. Here we present an analysis of published data from grassland biodiversity experiments, multifunctionality does numbers species. We analysed each function alone to identify desirable effects. then calculated the number effects all possible combinations functions. Our results appreciable differences in sets influencing different average proportional overlap about 0.2 0.5. Consequently, as more processes were included our analysis, found overall functioning. Specifically, there was saturating between considered conclude because often influence studies focusing on individual isolation will underestimate levels required maintain multifunctional ecosystems.