(Press-News.org) Biodiversity around the world is increasingly threatened by global warming, habitat loss, and other human impacts. But what does this loss of species mean for the functioning of ecosystems that humans depend on for goods and services? Can ecosystems around our planet survive and maintain their primary functions with fewer species in them? After decades of research on many issues pertaining to life on Earth, are scientists any closer to attaining these answers?
In a Biodiversity Special Issue of the American Journal of Botany, to be published in March, many of the world's experts on biodiversity have come together to present their state-of-the-art analysis of where we stand today regarding the taxonomy, systematics, evolutionary biology, biogeography, ecology, conservation, and restoration of species distributed all over the world.
Understanding the causes and consequences of global loss of biodiversity is the main area of research for Bradley Cardinale, an ecologist from the University of Michigan. In one of the seminal papers in AJB's Biodiversity Special Issue (http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/reprint/ajb.1000364v1), Cardinale, along with several international collaborators, explores how changes to primary producers —plants and algae that are the baseline of the biodiversity network—affect ecological processes that are essential to the functioning of ecosystems around the world.
"Nearly every organism on this planet depends on plants for their survival," Cardinale commented. "If species extinction compromises the process by which plants grow, then it degrades one of the key features required to sustain life on Earth."
To take on such an enormous question, Cardinale and his co-authors conducted a meta-analysis—this entails finding and sifting through hundreds of published studies for appropriate data that can be used to answer larger-scale questions. In some respects, each paper that met their defined criteria acted as a replicate data set for a particular question, and they were able to use these data sets to then ask if primary producers affected systems in the same way across multiple ecosystems and in multiple parts of the world. This is a very powerful approach because it combines the efforts of researchers all over the world and allows these researchersto zoom out from a small-scale, more traditional, focus on a specific study system or habitat to get a "big picture" perspective.
One of the key questions Cardinale et al. asked was "How does biodiversity of plants influence the productivity and sustainability of ecosystems?" A prevalent idea in the biodiversity scientific community is that species diversity controls how communities capture limited resources—such as nutrients and light—and convert them into new biomass. Using data from almost 400 published experiments in their meta-analysis the authors found overwhelming evidence indicating that the net effect of species loss at the producer level reduces the amount of standing biomass of that community. It also reduces the efficiency by which plants and algae assimilate inorganic resources like nutrients, and reduces rates of primary production (conversion into new biomass).
"This summary provides unequivocal evidence that declining diversity of plants and algae in the world's ecosystems will decrease the biomass of plants in natural ecosystems, and degrade their ability to use biologically essential nutrients from soil and water," Cardinale says. "Preliminary evidence also suggests that declining diversity may reduce the ability of natural ecosystems to produce oxygen, and to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere."
While the overwhelming majority of studies in their data set showed that diverse communities of plants and algae are more productive and efficient than their average species, the authors also examined whether a more diverse community is more efficient or productive than the single "best" species in that community. This is a question that agriculturalists and forest managers have had for quite some time. Out of 375 observations, 37% suggested that diverse polycultures ultimately attain more biomass than even their single highest-yielding species (such as a species that would produce the largest crop or the most wood) when grown in a monoculture. This is probably a highly conservative estimate since the analyses also showed that effects of biodiversity tend to grow stronger as studies run for longer periods of time, or as they are performed at larger spatial scales.
The authors explain that there are two reasons why diverse communities are more productive and efficient. Part of the explanation is that diverse communities are more likely to contain "super-species"—that is, species that are highly productive and efficient at regulating ecological processes. But there is even greater evidence that species play unique and complementary roles in their environment. This "division-of-labor" allows diverse communities to be more productive. One of the co-authors of the study, Lars Gamfeldt, illustrates the concept with an analogy: "Plant communities are like a soccer team. To win championships, you need a star striker that can score goals, but you also need a cast of supporting players that can pass, defend, and goal tend. Together, the star players and supporting cast make a highly efficient team."
So where do scientists go from here? What areas need improvement? How can we develop better, more predictive models detailing the consequences of biodiversity loss?
"Species extinction is happening now, and it's happening quickly. And unfortunately, our resources are limited," says Jarrett Byrnes, another co-author of the study. "This means we're going to have to prioritize our conservation efforts, and to do that, scientists have to start giving us concrete answers about the numbers and types of species that are needed to sustain human life. If we don't produce these estimates quickly, then we risk crossing a threshold that we can't come back from."
Cardinale et al. suggest that future experiments need to manipulate biodiversity at multiple scales and incorporate spatial and temporal heterogeneity; quantify how effects of biodiversity loss compare with those due to other environmental change such as pollution, habitat fragmentation, climate change, etc.; and conduct experiments that manipulate diversity at multiple levels, such as the genetic or landscape level, to see at which level ecological functions are best measured.
"We need to translate the insights gained from simple experiments into the 'real-world,' where things get considerably more complex," Cardinale notes. "But infusing more reality to experiments will greatly enhance our ability to predict the impacts of extinction."
"We'll then be in a position to calculate the number of species needed to support the variety of processes that are required to sustain life in real ecosystems," adds Cardinale. "And we don't mean "need" in an ethical or an aesthetic way. We mean an actual concrete number of species required to sustain basic life-support processes."
Finally, Cardinale indicates that we need to know how biodiversity impacts products and processes that are relevant to our daily lives. "For example, how does biodiversity affect the yield of food crops, the control of pests and disease, the purification of water, or the production of wood, fiber and biofuels?"
Emmett Duffy, a co-author, summarizes the paper with an emphatic conclusion: "The idea that declining diversity compromises the functioning of ecosystems was controversial for many years. This paper should be the final nail in the coffin of that controversy. It's the most rigorous and comprehensive analysis yet, and it clearly shows that extinction of plant species compromises the productivity that supports Earth's ecosystems."
INFORMATION:
CITATION: Cardinale, Bradley J., Kristin L. Matulich, David U. Hooper, Jarrett E. Byrnes, Emmett Duffy, Lars Gamfeldt, Patricia Balvanera, Mary I. O'Connor, and Andrew Gonzalez (2011). The functional role of producer diversity in ecosystems. American Journal of Botany 98(3): 572-592. DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1000364
The full article in the link mentioned is available for no charge for 30 days following the date of this summary at http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/reprint/ajb.1000364v1. After this date, reporters may contact Richard Hund at ajb@botany.org for a copy of the article.
The American Journal of Botany's Special Issue on Biodiversity was co-edited by Drs. Peter H. Raven, Jonathan M. Chase, and J. Chris Pires. Peter H. Raven is President Emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden and one of the world's leading botanists and advocates of conservation and biodiversity. Described by TIME magazine as a "Hero for the Planet," Dr. Raven champions research around the world to preserve endangered plants and is a leading advocate for conservation and a sustainable environment. Jonathan M. Chase is a professor in the Department of Biology and Director of the Tyson Research Center at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. His specific research interests currently center around understanding patterns of biodiversity, relative species abundances, and variation in community composition from site-to-site (beta-diversity), and how spatial processes, biotic interactions, abiotic factors, habitat degradation and restoration, and biogeographic factors, influence those patterns. J. Chris Pires is assistant professor in the Division of Biological Sciences at the University of Missouri Columbia in Columbia, MO. He devotes his research to plant evolutionary biology—from phylogenetic studies in plant diversity to genome-wide analyses of gene expression—and is part of MU's Interdisciplinary Plant Group.
The Botanical Society of America (www.botany.org) is a non-profit membership society with a mission to promote botany, the field of basic science dealing with the study and inquiry into the form, function, development, diversity, reproduction, evolution, and uses of plants and their interactions within the biosphere. It has published the American Journal of Botany (www.amjbot.org) for nearly 100 years. In 2009, the Special Libraries Association named the American Journal of Botany one of the Top 10 Most Influential Journals of the Century in the field of Biology and Medicine.
For further information, please contact the AJB staff at ajb@botany.org.
Will loss of plant diversity compromise Earth's life-support systems?
Meta-analysis and reflections on two decades of biodiversity research provide some answers and reveal new questions
2011-03-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Prudential Research Finds Most New Pensioners Considering Working Beyond Retirement
2011-03-04
According to figures from the latest Prudential Class of 2011 research, 62% of those who had planned to retire in 2011 would consider postponing their pension and continuing to work in order to boost their retirement income.
Of those considering putting off their retirement, 46% said they will definitely have to continue to work in order to supplement their pensions or build up their savings further.
Prudential's Class of 2011 study surveyed people intending to retire during the forthcoming year. The findings highlight the growing trend for part-retirement in the ...
Solving a traditional Chinese medicine mystery
2011-03-04
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine have discovered that a natural product isolated from a traditional Chinese medicinal plant commonly known as thunder god vine, or lei gong teng, and used for hundreds of years to treat many conditions including rheumatoid arthritis works by blocking gene control machinery in the cell. The report, published as a cover story of the March issue of Nature Chemical Biology, suggests that the natural product could be a starting point for developing new anticancer drugs.
"Extracts of this medicinal plant have been used to treat ...
NHRAunplugged.com Launches Website
2011-03-04
Motorsportsunplugged.com has taken the exciting step of launching sister site NHRAunplugged.com, a website devoted to providing the NHRA fan with commentary, interviews, opinions and insights that go beyond typical news items.
The site will feature articles and blogs from such drag racing notables as Kenny Bernstein, and others, while professional journalists will provide frequent updates. Longtime motorsports expert Jay Wells will be NHRAunplugged's supervising editor and his decades of experience will be a valuable asset.
"With Wells' experience and the contributions ...
ATS issues report on emerging issues in HIV-associated pulmonary disease
2011-03-04
The American Thoracic Society has released a new report detailing recent global changes in the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated pulmonary disease. The report examines the evolving landscape of HIV and its associated diseases in areas where combination antiretroviral therapies (ART) are available, as well as offering insight into the trends occurring in areas of the world where ART use is limited.
The report appears in the March 1, 2011, issue of the Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society.
Since it first came to the public eye in the ...
Scripps Research study points to liver, not brain, as origin of Alzheimer's plaques
2011-03-04
LA JOLLA, CA – March 3, 2011 – Unexpected results from a Scripps Research Institute and ModGene, LLC study could completely alter scientists' ideas about Alzheimer's disease—pointing to the liver instead of the brain as the source of the "amyloid" that deposits as brain plaques associated with this devastating condition. The findings could offer a relatively simple approach for Alzheimer's prevention and treatment.
The study was published online today in The Journal of Neuroscience Research.
In the study, the scientists used a mouse model for Alzheimer's disease to ...
Pat Vitucci Launches Second Radio Show in San Francisco Bay Area
2011-03-04
Pat Vitucci, a Bay Area Independent Financial Advisor, recently launched his second weekly radio program called "Sound Money- A Conservative Approach To Investing". The program airs several times each week on Fox News Radio 910 AM and KDIA 1640AM. The 30 minute program focuses on conservative approaches to investing and saving money. "There are many people who prefer products that are relatively conservative with not a lot of risk", says Vitucci, "and that is what this show is all about". Pat Vitucci was also recently named NPC's (National Planning Corporation) #1 producing ...
ATS issues report recommending research priorities in treatment of sleep apnea
2011-03-04
The American Thoracic Society has released a new official report recommending research priorities in incorporating ambulatory management of adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) into healthcare systems. The report identifies barriers preventing incorporation of portable monitor testing into clinical management pathways and recommends research and development needed to address those barriers.
The statement appears in the March 1, 2011, issue of the Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society.
It is estimated that OSA occurs in roughly 20 million Americans, and ...
Solving the puzzle of Henry VIII
2011-03-04
DALLAS (SMU) – Blood group incompatibility between Henry VIII and his wives could have driven the Tudor king's reproductive woes, and a genetic condition related to his suspected blood group could also explain Henry's dramatic mid-life transformation into a physically and mentally-impaired tyrant who executed two of his wives.
Research conducted by bioarchaeologist Catrina Banks Whitley while she was a graduate student at SMU (Southern Methodist University) and anthropologist Kyra Kramer shows that the numerous miscarriages suffered by Henry's wives could be explained ...
Denver Wedding Photographer Reveals Photo Tips and Top 10 Colorado Destinations for Spring Wedding Photos
2011-03-04
Spring is a wonderful time of year to get married -- temperatures are warming and trees and flowers are in bloom - the perfect time for new beginnings. According to Denver wedding photographer Matt Kelly of Ambisuite Weddings, "Each season has its own unique beauty, and photographing a wedding in any given season has its special challenges. Spring, however, is a breathtaking time for taking wedding photographs."
Tips for beautiful springtime wedding pictures
Whether you are holding your spring wedding indoors or outdoors, the wedding photographer should know how to ...
Oldest objects in solar system indicate a turbulent beginning
2011-03-04
LIVERMORE, Calif. – Scientists have found that calcium, aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), some of the oldest objects in the solar system, formed far away from our sun and then later fell back into the mid-plane of the solar system.
The findings may lead to a greater understanding of how our solar system and possibly other solar systems formed and evolved.
CAIs, roughly millimeter- to centimeter in size, are believed to have formed very early in the evolution of the solar system and had contact with nebular gas, either as solid condensates or as molten droplets. Relative ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Insulin resistance is linked to over 30 diseases – and to early death in women, study of people in the UK finds
Innovative semaglutide hydrogel could reduce diabetes shots to once a month
Weight loss could reduce the risk of severe infections in people with diabetes, UK research suggests
Long-term exposure to air pollution and a lack of green space increases the risk of hospitalization for respiratory conditions
Better cardiovascular health in early pregnancy may offset high genetic risk
Artificial intelligence method transforms gene mutation prediction in lung cancer: DeepGEM data releases at IASLC 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer
Antibody–drug conjugate I-DXd shows clinically meaningful response in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer
IASLC Global Survey on biomarker testing reveals progress and persistent barriers in lung cancer biomarker testing
Research shows pathway to developing predictive biomarkers for immune checkpoint inhibitors
Just how dangerous is Great Salt Lake dust? New research looks for clues
Maroulas appointed Associate Vice Chancellor, Director of AI Tennessee
New chickadee research finds cognitive skills impact lifespan
Cognitive behavioral therapy enhances brain circuits to relieve depression
Terasaki Institute awarded $2.3 Million grant from NIH for organ transplantation research using organs-on-a-chip technology
Atoms on the edge
Postdoc takes multipronged approach to muon detection
Mathematical proof: Five satellites needed for precise navigation
Scalable, multi-functional device lays groundwork for advanced quantum applications
Falling for financial scams? It may signal early Alzheimer’s disease
Integrating MRI and OCT for new insights into brain microstructure
Designing a normative neuroimaging library to support diagnosis of traumatic brain injury
Department of Energy announces $68 million in funding for artificial intelligence for scientific research
DOE, ORNL announce opportunity to define future of high-performance computing
Molecular simulations, supercomputing lead to energy-saving biomaterials breakthrough
Low-impact yoga and exercise found to help older women manage urinary incontinence
Genetic studies reveal new insights into cognitive impairment in schizophrenia
Researcher develops technology to provide cleaner energy and cleaner water
Expect the unexpected: nanoscale silver unveils intrinsic self-healing abilities
nTIDE September 2024 Jobs Report: Gains in employment for people with disabilities appear to level off after reducing gaps with non-disabled workers
Wiley enhances NMR Spectral Library Collection with extensive new databases
[Press-News.org] Will loss of plant diversity compromise Earth's life-support systems?Meta-analysis and reflections on two decades of biodiversity research provide some answers and reveal new questions