Research needs on the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationship in drylands

作者：Fernando T. Maestre, Lucio Biancari, Ning Chen, Mario Corrochano‐Monsalve, G. Darrel Jenerette, Corey Nelson, Kaarina N. Shilula, Yelyzaveta Shpilkina · 发表于：npj Biodiversity · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1038/s44185-024-00046-6 · 被引用次数：27 · 研究领域：Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology、Forest, Soil, and Plant Ecology in China、Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics

Research carried out in drylands over the last decade has provided major insights on the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship (BEFr) and about how biodiversity interacts with other important factors, such as climate and soil properties, to determine ecosystem functioning and services. Despite this, there are important gaps in our understanding of the BEFr in drylands that should be addressed by future research. In this perspective we highlight some of these gaps, which include: 1) the need to study the BEFr in bare soils devoid of perennial vascular vegetation and biocrusts, a major feature of dryland ecosystems, 2) evaluating how intra-specific trait variability, a key but understudied facet of functional diversity, modulate the BEFr, 3) addressing the influence of biotic interactions on the BEFr, including plant-animal interactions and those between microorganisms associated to biocrusts, 4) studying how differences in species-area relationships and beta diversity are associated with ecosystem functioning, and 5) considering the role of temporal variability and human activities, both present and past, particularly those linked to land use (e.g., grazing) and urbanization. Tackling these gaps will not only advance our comprehension of the BEFr but will also bolster the effectiveness of management and ecological restoration strategies, crucial for safeguarding dryland ecosystems and the livelihoods of their inhabitants.