Soil biodiversity and soil community composition determine ecosystem multifunctionality

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 111; no. 14; pp. 5266 - 5270
• Main Authors: Wagg, Cameron, Bender, S. Franz, Widmer, Franco, van der Heijden, Marcel G. A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 08.04.2014; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Agricultural soils; Biodiversity; Biodiversity loss; biogeochemical cycles; Biological Sciences; Community composition; community structure; Decomposition; Ecological effects; Ecological function; Ecosystem; Ecosystem services; Ecosystems; Grassland soils; Grasslands; Land use; Nutrient cycles; Nutrient retention; Plant diversity; society; Soil; Soil composition; Soil ecology; Soil fungi; Soil Microbiology; Soil microorganisms; Soil nematodes; Soil treatment; Soils; Sustainability; ecology; soil degradation; microbiome; global change; symbiosis

Biodiversity loss has become a global concern as evidence accumulates that it will negatively affect ecosystem services on which society depends. So far, most studies have focused on the ecological consequences of above-ground biodiversity loss; yet a large part of Earth’s biodiversity is literally...