1. Relationships between species richness and ecosystem services inAmazonian forests strongly infuenced by biogeographical strata and forest types
- Author
-
Steur, Gijs, ter Steege, Hans, Verburg, René W., Sabatier, Daniel, Molino, Jean‑François, Bánki, Olaf S., Castellanos, Hernan, Stropp, Juliana, Fonty, Émile, Ruysschaert, Sofie, Galbraith, David, Kalamandeen, Michelle, van Andel, Tinde R., Brienen, Roel J. W., Phillips, Oliver L., Feeley, Kenneth J., Terborgh, John, Verweij, Pita A., Energy and Resources, Afd Biologie Algemeen, Afd. Botanische tuinen, Energy System Analysis, Sub Algemeen Biologie, Dutch Research Council, Agence Nationale de la Recherche (France), Afd. Botanische tuinen, Energy System Analysis, Energy and Resources, Systems Ecology, Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository, Utrecht University [Utrecht], Naturalis Biodiversity Center [Leiden], Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam [Amsterdam] (VU), Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations (UMR AMAP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Universidad Nacional Experimental de Guayana, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales [Madrid] (MNCN), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Universiteit Gent = Ghent University (UGENT), University of Leeds, University of Cambridge [UK] (CAM), Laurentian University, Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (WUR), University of Miami, University of Florida [Gainesville] (UF), James Cook University (JCU), G.S. was supported by grant 022.006.011 from the Dutch Research Council (‘NWO’) for the Graduate Programme ‘Nature Conservation, Management and Restoration’. D.S. & J-F.M. benefited from an 'Investissement d’Avenir' grant managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (CEBA: ANR-10-LABX-25-01), ANR-10-LABX-0025,CEBA,CEnter of the study of Biodiversity in Amazonia(2010), Afd Biologie Algemeen, and Sub Algemeen Biologie
- Subjects
Earth Observation and Environmental Informatics ,Multidisciplinary ,Tropical forests ,Aboveground biomass ,Biodiversity ,[SDV.BV.BOT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology/Botanics ,Forests ,[SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics, Phylogenetics and taxonomy ,Carbon ,Biosystematiek ,Trees ,Carbon stocks ,[SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems ,Plant diversity ,Aardobservatie en omgevingsinformatica ,Ecosystem services ,Life Science ,Biosystematics ,Tree diversity ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,General ,Plant ecology ,Ecosystem ,Productivity - Abstract
Despite increasing attention for relationships between species richness and ecosystem services, for tropical forests such relationships are still under discussion. Contradicting relationships have been reported concerning carbon stock, while little is known about relationships concerning timber stock and the abundance of non-timber forest product producing plant species (NTFP abundance). Using 151 1-ha plots, we related tree and arborescent palm species richness to carbon stock, timber stock and NTFP abundance across the Guiana Shield, and using 283 1-ha plots, to carbon stock across all of Amazonia. We analysed how environmental heterogeneity influenced these relationships, assessing differences across and within multiple forest types, biogeographic regions and subregions. Species richness showed significant relationships with all three ecosystem services, but relationships differed between forest types and among biogeographical strata. We found that species richness was positively associated to carbon stock in all biogeographical strata. This association became obscured by variation across biogeographical regions at the scale of Amazonia, resembling a Simpson’s paradox. By contrast, species richness was weakly or not significantly related to timber stock and NTFP abundance, suggesting that species richness is not a good predictor for these ecosystem services. Our findings illustrate the importance of environmental stratification in analysing biodiversity-ecosystem services relationships., G.S. was supported by grant 022.006.011 from the Dutch Research Council (‘NWO’) for the Graduate Programme ‘Nature Conservation, Management and Restoration’. D.S. & J-F.M. benefited from an “Investissement d’Avenir” grant managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (CEBA: ANR-10-LABX-25-01).
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF