Productivity is a poor predictor of plant species richness

Peter B. Adler; Eric W. Seabloom; Elizabeth T. Borer; Helmut Hillebrand; Yann Hautier; Andy Hector; W. Stanley Harpole; Lydia R. O'Halloran; James B. Grace; T. Michael Anderson; Jonathan D. Bakker; Lori A. Biederman; Cynthia S. Brown; Yvonne M. Buckley; Laura B. Calabrese; Cheng-Jin Chu; Elsa E. Cleland; Scott L. Collins; Kathryn L. Cottingham; Michael J. Crawley; Ellen Ingman Damschen; Kendi F. Davies; Nicole M. DeCrappeo; Philip A. Fay; Jennifer Firn; Paul Frater; Eve I. Gasarch; Daneil S. Gruner; Nicole Hagenah; Janneke Hille Ris Lambers; Hope Humphries; Virginia L. Jin; Adam D. Kay; Kevin P. Kirkman; Julia A. Klein; Johannes M.H. Knops; Kimberly J. La Pierre; John G. Lambrinos; Wei Li; Andrew S. MacDougall; Rebecca L. McCulley; Brett A. Melbourne; Charles E. Mitchell; Joslin L. Moore; John W. Morgan; Brent Mortensen; John L. Orrock; Suzanne M. Prober; David A. Pyke; Anita C. Risch; Martin Schuetz; Melinda D. Smith; Carly J. Stevens; Lauren L. Sullivan; Gang Wang; Peter D. Wragg; Justin P. Wright; Louie H. Yang

doi:10.1126/science.1204498

Productivity is a poor predictor of plant species richness

Science

By: Peter B. Adler, Eric W. Seabloom, Elizabeth T. Borer, Helmut Hillebrand, Yann Hautier, Andy Hector, W. Stanley Harpole, Lydia R. O'Halloran, James B. Grace, T. Michael Anderson, Jonathan D. Bakker, Lori A. Biederman, Cynthia S. Brown, Yvonne M. Buckley, Laura B. Calabrese, Cheng-Jin Chu, Elsa E. Cleland, Scott L. Collins, Kathryn L. Cottingham, Michael J. Crawley, Ellen Ingman Damschen, Kendi F. Davies, Nicole M. DeCrappeo, Philip A. Fay, Jennifer Firn, Paul Frater, Eve I. Gasarch, Daneil S. Gruner, Nicole Hagenah, Janneke Hille Ris Lambers, Hope Humphries, Virginia L. Jin, Adam D. Kay, Kevin P. Kirkman, Julia A. Klein, Johannes M.H. Knops, Kimberly J. La Pierre, John G. Lambrinos, Wei Li, Andrew S. MacDougall, Rebecca L. McCulley, Brett A. Melbourne, Charles E. Mitchell, Joslin L. Moore, John W. Morgan, Brent Mortensen, John L. Orrock, Suzanne M. Prober, David A. Pyke, Anita C. Risch, Martin Schuetz, Melinda D. Smith, Carly J. Stevens, Lauren L. Sullivan, Gang Wang, Peter D. Wragg, Justin P. Wright, and Louie H. Yang

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1204498

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Abstract

For more than 30 years, the relationship between net primary productivity and species richness has generated intense debate in ecology about the processes regulating local diversity. The original view, which is still widely accepted, holds that the relationship is hump-shaped, with richness first rising and then declining with increasing productivity. Although recent meta-analyses questioned the generality of hump-shaped patterns, these syntheses have been criticized for failing to account for methodological differences among studies. We addressed such concerns by conducting standardized sampling in 48 herbaceous-dominated plant communities on five continents. We found no clear relationship between productivity and fine-scale (meters⁻²) richness within sites, within regions, or across the globe. Ecologists should focus on fresh, mechanistic approaches to understanding the multivariate links between productivity and richness.

Additional publication details
Publication type	Article
Publication Subtype	Journal Article
Title	Productivity is a poor predictor of plant species richness
Series title	Science
DOI	10.1126/science.1204498
Volume	333
Issue	6050
Year Published	2011
Language	English
Publisher	American Association for the Advancement of Science
Publisher location	Washington, D.C.
Contributing office(s)	Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, National Wetlands Research Center
Description	4 p.
First page	1750
Last page	1753
Google Analytic Metrics	Metrics page