Revisiting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning through the Lens of Complex Adaptive Systems
Understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is essential to comprehend the impacts of biodiversity changes on ecosystem functioning. This knowledge helps to detect and anticipate significant trends in global biodiversity loss and the homogenization of biota wo...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-07-01
|
| Series: | Diversity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/895 |
| _version_ | 1828715498342187008 |
|---|---|
| author | Alexandra M. Correia Luís F. Lopes |
| author_facet | Alexandra M. Correia Luís F. Lopes |
| author_sort | Alexandra M. Correia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is essential to comprehend the impacts of biodiversity changes on ecosystem functioning. This knowledge helps to detect and anticipate significant trends in global biodiversity loss and the homogenization of biota worldwide to prevent them. Species act together with climate, resource availability, and disturbance regimes to modulate ecological processes defining ecosystems’ complexity and their dynamic adaptation to variability. In this article, we revisit the BEF paradigm by addressing current knowledge of how biodiversity connects to ecosystem functioning across scales in the context of complex adaptive systems (CAS). We focus on ecosystem processes that lead to the emergence of the BEF relationship, considering ecosystem functioning as a macroscopic emergent property. Specifically, this work integrates the knowledge of the processes that connect biodiversity to ecosystem functioning. It addresses how biodiversity supports ecosystem multifunctionality across scales, resulting in the persistence of CAS in a rapidly changing world. We present a framework for ecological management considering the BEF relationship within the scope of CAS. The CAS standpoint brings new insights into the BEF field and its relevance for future ecological conservation of the Earth’s life support. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:00:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40637c8cc22d4ad8ac9addf10dcdb2f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:00:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-40637c8cc22d4ad8ac9addf10dcdb2f62023-11-19T00:49:19ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182023-07-0115889510.3390/d15080895Revisiting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning through the Lens of Complex Adaptive SystemsAlexandra M. Correia0Luís F. Lopes1Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, PortugalGlobal Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, PortugalUnderstanding the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is essential to comprehend the impacts of biodiversity changes on ecosystem functioning. This knowledge helps to detect and anticipate significant trends in global biodiversity loss and the homogenization of biota worldwide to prevent them. Species act together with climate, resource availability, and disturbance regimes to modulate ecological processes defining ecosystems’ complexity and their dynamic adaptation to variability. In this article, we revisit the BEF paradigm by addressing current knowledge of how biodiversity connects to ecosystem functioning across scales in the context of complex adaptive systems (CAS). We focus on ecosystem processes that lead to the emergence of the BEF relationship, considering ecosystem functioning as a macroscopic emergent property. Specifically, this work integrates the knowledge of the processes that connect biodiversity to ecosystem functioning. It addresses how biodiversity supports ecosystem multifunctionality across scales, resulting in the persistence of CAS in a rapidly changing world. We present a framework for ecological management considering the BEF relationship within the scope of CAS. The CAS standpoint brings new insights into the BEF field and its relevance for future ecological conservation of the Earth’s life support.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/895BEFCASecological processesmultifunctionalitymacroscopic propertiesscales |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra M. Correia Luís F. Lopes Revisiting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning through the Lens of Complex Adaptive Systems Diversity BEF CAS ecological processes multifunctionality macroscopic properties scales |
| title | Revisiting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning through the Lens of Complex Adaptive Systems |
| title_full | Revisiting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning through the Lens of Complex Adaptive Systems |
| title_fullStr | Revisiting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning through the Lens of Complex Adaptive Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revisiting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning through the Lens of Complex Adaptive Systems |
| title_short | Revisiting Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning through the Lens of Complex Adaptive Systems |
| title_sort | revisiting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning through the lens of complex adaptive systems |
| topic | BEF CAS ecological processes multifunctionality macroscopic properties scales |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/8/895 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexandramcorreia revisitingbiodiversityandecosystemfunctioningthroughthelensofcomplexadaptivesystems AT luisflopes revisitingbiodiversityandecosystemfunctioningthroughthelensofcomplexadaptivesystems |