Biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles: a search for mechanisms across ecosystems (acronym: BioCycle) (EuroDIVERSITY 249)

过去关于生物多样性丧失对生态系统功能的影响的研究提供了初级生产力减少和植物物种多样性减少的证据。然而，人们对生物多样性与其他关键生态系统过程之间的关系知之甚少，包括分解、碳转化和养分矿化，这些过程是生态系统功能的重要组成部分，为人类提供必要的商品和服务。在这个项目中，我们建议建立一个欧洲范围的网络，调查植物凋落物多样性和分解节肢动物多样性对从北极到热带的陆地和水生生态系统对梯度上的碳和养分循环的交互影响。通过使用多物种池实验的比较方法，我们计划在生物群和生态系统类型之间操纵功能多样性，我们的目标是建立对生物多样性变化对生态系统功能影响的机械性理解。我们相信，新的植物多样性分解者多样性操作、跨生物群的协调调查、对结构不同的水生和陆地生态系统的具体比较、最先进分析工具的使用以及项目框架内统一的科学成就将极大地促进对生物多样性-生态系统功能关系的理解。

Past research on the consequences of biodiversity loss for ecosystem functioning provided evidence of diminished primary production with decreasing plant species diversity. Little is known, however, about the relationship between biodiversity and other key ecosystem processes including decomposition, carbon transformation, and nutrient mineralization; vital components of the ecosystem functioning that deliver essential goods and services to humanity. In this project we propose to establish a European-wide network investigating the interactive effects of plant litter diversity and decomposer arthropod diversity on carbon and nutrient cycling across a gradient of paired terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems running from the arctic to the tropics. With a comparative approach using a multiple species pool experiment in which we plan to manipulate functional diversity across biomes and ecosystem types, we aim to establish a mechanistic understanding of the impact of changing biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. We believe that the novel plant diversity decomposer diversity manipulations, concerted investigation across biomes, specific comparison of structurally distinct aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, the use of state-of-the-art analytical tools, and scientific excellence unified within the framework of the project will greatly advance the understanding of the biodiversity – ecosystem function relationship.