Thompson_et_al_2021

Thompson PL, Kéfi S, Zelnik YR, et al (2021) Scaling up biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships: the role of environmental heterogeneity in space and time. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 288:20202779. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.2779

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Keywords: heterogeneity, autocorrelation, biodiversity, historical, ecosystem functioning

Biodiversity ecosystem functioning relationship varies across space and time. Turnover in species composition is predicted to lead to BEF at large spatiotemporal scales that are different than the relationships obsered at small scales. Ran theoretical simulations using Lotka-Volterra to test the BEF at multiple scales and heterogeneity levels. Environmental autocorrelation determines the rate of compositional turnover. Degree of temporal autocorrelation does influence the average biomass that is produced. More species are required to sustain the same amount of biomass per unit area or time over larger scales compared to smaller scales. Degree of environmental autocorrelation is a key determinant of species turnover. Spatial and temporal heterogeneity lead to similar changes in BEF relationship with scale but have different impacts on community turnover.