Ecosystem size mediates the effects of resource flows on species
diversity and ecosystem function at different scales
- Emanuele Giacomuzzo,
- Tianna Peller,
- Isabelle Gounand,
- Florian Altermatt
Florian Altermatt
University of Zurich
Corresponding Author:florian.altermatt@ieu.uzh.ch
Author ProfileAbstract
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Ecosystem size and spatial resource flows are key factors driving
species diversity and ecosystem function. However, the question of
whether and how these drivers interact has been largely overlooked.
Here, we investigated how ecosystem size asymmetry affects species
diversity and function of two-patch meta-ecosystems connected through
flows of non-living resources. We conducted a microcosm experiment,
mimicking resource flows between ecosystems of different sizes yet
otherwise identical properties or between ecosystems of the same size.
Meta-ecosystems with asymmetric ecosystem sizes displayed higher α-
diversity but lower β-diversity and ecosystem function (total biomass)
than their unconnected counterparts. At the same time, such an effect
was not found for meta-ecosystems of identical patch sizes. Our work
demonstrates how the size of ecosystems, interconnected via resource
flows, can modulate cross-ecosystem dynamics, having implications for
species diversity and function across scales.15 Nov 2024Submitted to Ecology and Evolution 16 Nov 2024Submission Checks Completed
16 Nov 2024Assigned to Editor
20 Nov 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
20 Nov 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
22 Nov 20241st Revision Received
25 Nov 2024Submission Checks Completed
25 Nov 2024Assigned to Editor
25 Nov 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
26 Nov 2024Editorial Decision: Accept