Ecosystems containing many different plant species are not only more productive, they are better able to withstand and recover from climate extremes, pests and disease over long periods, according to a new study. It is the first experiment to gather enough data–over a sufficient time and in a controlled environment–to confirm a 50-year scientific debate about whether biodiversity stabilizes ecosystems. The findings, published in this week’s issue of the journal Nature, are the result of 12 years of experiments conducted by David Tilman, an ecologist at the University of Minnesota, and colleagues Peter Reich of the University of Minnesota and Johannes Knops of the University of Nebraska. “This study clearly demonstrates that stability of a plant community through time increases as species richness goes up,” said Martyn Caldwell, program director in NSF’s Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research. “Only a long-term field experiment can provide this information.”

News notes are courtesy of Southern Forests Network News Notes
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