University of Zurich's Cameron Wagg: 'Ecosystems functioning in the long term are continually developing' after decades

A decades-long study by the University of Zurich, with colleagues from Leipzig and Jena, found that diverse plant communities require about 10 years to stabilize and produce a consistent amount of biomass, emphasizing the importance of biodiversity in sustaining an ecosystem.

According to a release by the University of Zurich, the Jena Experiment in Germany served as a testing ground for study, which sheds light on the crucial role of biodiversity in stabilizing ecosystem functions. The research, led by author Cameron Wagg of the University of Zurich, delved into the dynamics of plant communities within the grassland ecosystems from 1998 to the present. 

"We now realize that the mechanisms by which diverse species communities maintain ecosystem functioning in the long term are continually developing even after two decades," Wagg wrote in the study. The study focused on how diverse plant communities interact and adapt over time, specifically analyzing their impact on biomass production and overall ecosystem stability. 

Biodiversity is essential "to fully appreciate the invaluable role of biodiversity for supporting ecosystem functions and services into the future," the release added, including productivity, carbon storage, and soil health. The report added that long-term study was necessary to understand the process.

According to the release, plant communities with a rich variety of species showcased an ability to adjust to each other's presence over time, and after about a decade, these diverse experimental communities demonstrated a "compensatory" effect, complementing each other's efforts to produce stable biomass at the community level. 

By contrast, plant communities with lower biodiversity experienced significant fluctuations in biomass production from year to year, the release said.

"Over time, evolutionary processes in diverse plant communities select the most 'collaborative' plant genotypes among the different species, thus increasing division of labor, community productivity, and ecosystem stability," Professor Bernhard Schmid, a leading expert at the Department of Geography, said in the release.

Ecosystem stability is crucial to maintaining resilience in the face of environmental perturbations and challenges, and the study's findings underscored the significance of older, more diverse ecosystems, the study stated.

The research team added that its findings offer invaluable guidance for policymakers and conservationists in their efforts to preserve and protect our delicate ecosystems in an ever-changing world, the release said.