Worldwide evidence of a unimodal relationship between productivity and plant species richness
Fraser, Lauchlan H.; Pither, Jason; Jentsch, Anke; Sternberg, Marcelo; Zobel, Martin; Askarizadeh, Diana; Bartha, Sandor; Beierkuhnlein, Carl; Bennett, Jonathan A.; Bittel, Alex; Boldgiv, Bazartseren; Boldrini, Ilsi I.; Bork, Edward; Brown, Leslie; Cabido, Marcelo; Cahill, James; Carlyle, Cameron N.; Campetella, Giandiego; Chelli, Stefano; Cohen, Ofer; Csergo, Anna-Maria; Díaz, Sandra; Enrico, Lucas; Ensing, David; Fidelis, Alessandra; Fridley, Jason D.; Foster, Bryan; Garris, Heath; Goheen, Jacob R.; Henry, Hugh A.L.; Hohn, Maria; Jouri, Mohammad Hassan; Klironomos, John; Koorem, Kadri; Lawrence-Lodge, Rachael; Long, Ruijun; Manning, Pete; Mitchell, Randall; Moora, Mari; Müller, Sandra C.; Nabinger, Carlos; Naseri, Kamal; Overbeck, Gerhard E.; Palmer, Todd M.; Parsons, Sheena; Shang, Zhanhuan; Stahlmann, Reinhold; Stotz, Gisela C.; Sugiyama, Shu-ichi; Szentes, Szilárd; Thompson, Don; Tungalag, Radnaakhand; Undrakhbold, Sainbileg; Van Rooyen, M.W. (Margaretha W.), 1950-; Wellstein, Camilla; Wilson, J. Bastow; Zupo, Talita
Date:
2015-07
Abstract:
The search for predictions of species diversity across environmental gradients
has challenged ecologists for decades. The humped-back model (HBM) suggests that plant
diversity peaks at intermediate productivity; at low productivity few species can tolerate
the environmental stresses and at high productivity a few highly competitive species
dominate. Over time the HBM has become increasingly controversial, and recent studies
claim to have refuted it. Here, using data from coordinated surveys conducted throughout
grasslands worldwide, and comprising a wide range of site productivities, we provide
strong evidence in support of the HBM pattern, at both global and regional extents. The
relationships described here provide a strong foundation for further research into the local,
landscape, and historical factors that ensure the maintenance of biodiversity.
