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Mechanisms and biodiversity- ecosystem function
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So, we know that biodiversity positively affects desirable ecosystem functions, like biomass productivity, or pest control, etc. We look at the studies (like Cardinale et al 2006), and the main mechanism that explains this possitive effect is that "diverse" plots are dominated by the best (more productive, for instance) species. Then from an agriculture perspective, we could just plant our best monoculture, and get the same ecosystem benefit... think about payments of ecosystem services... how (and why should we) promote polycultures, when we get the same benefit with simple monocultures? We brainstormed some ideas last class, but I would appreciate your help in developing the argument...
Here are some thoughts:
1) Even if the sampling effect ("best species") works for one ecosystem service (e.g. high agricultural yield), that same species will not necessarily be the best at other ecosystem services (e.g. disease resistance). In other words, the species that is contributing the most to one ecosystem service will not likely be contributing the most to another service.
2) Two different mechanisms may control the different services. I cannot off the top of my head think of an example for an E.S. but this is well demonstrated in the Fargione & Tilman paper in the Workspace > Themes > 8. Mechanisms > General Readings. They found that high productivity in plant communities was controlled by a different mechanism than was low invisibility. This could also be important for ecosystem services.
3) Think about the example from the Carbon lecture (Bunker et al.). They found that certain communities were better at sequestering carbon (those with the “best” carbon uptake rates, for example) but highlight that we do not know how reducing/manipulating those communities for maximum carbon storage might affect other ecosystem services.
Hope that helps,
Stacy
1) Even if the sampling effect ("best species") works for one ecosystem service (e.g. high agricultural yield), that same species will not necessarily be the best at other ecosystem services (e.g. disease resistance). In other words, the species that is contributing the most to one ecosystem service will not likely be contributing the most to another service.
2) Two different mechanisms may control the different services. I cannot off the top of my head think of an example for an E.S. but this is well demonstrated in the Fargione & Tilman paper in the Workspace > Themes > 8. Mechanisms > General Readings. They found that high productivity in plant communities was controlled by a different mechanism than was low invisibility. This could also be important for ecosystem services.
3) Think about the example from the Carbon lecture (Bunker et al.). They found that certain communities were better at sequestering carbon (those with the “best” carbon uptake rates, for example) but highlight that we do not know how reducing/manipulating those communities for maximum carbon storage might affect other ecosystem services.
Hope that helps,
Stacy