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Effects of Ecosystem Diversity on Species Richness and Ecosystem Functioning and Services: A General Conceptualization

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Integrative Observations and Assessments

Part of the book series: Ecological Research Monographs ((APBON))

Abstract

Biodiversity has a hierarchical structure, consisting of genetic, species, and ecosystem levels. Although the importance of genetic and species diversities is well recognized from both basic and applied perspectives, there has been virtually no conceptualization of how and why ecosystem diversity matters from an ecological or socioecological perspective. Here, we describe the role of ecosystem diversity with respect to three different properties, namely, species diversity, ecosystem functioning, and ecosystem services. Ecosystem diversity increases species diversity by additive and nonadditive, or emergent, processes. The additive process is self-evident, but the emergent process is not well recognized. Habitat complementation and supplementation are examples of the emergent effect; both these paths facilitate population persistence and enhance species richness under composite ecosystems or in heterogeneous landscapes. Here not only compositional heterogeneity but also configuration heterogeneity matters. Linkage and interactions of different ecosystems are also important for ecosystem resilience and services. Empirical studies show that movement of organisms or nutrients between ecosystems sustains and/or stabilizes ecosystem dynamics, and theoretical food web studies show that the presence of a weak trophic linkage between ecosystems stabilizes the dynamics of the system as a whole. Also, heterogeneous landscapes consisting of multiple landscape elements are buffered against disturbances caused by cyclones, fire, and eutrophication. Maintaining spatial resilience across landscapes is the key to increasing the robustness and sustainability of socioecological systems in a changing world.

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Acknowledgments

We thank T. Fukami, Y. Osada, and S. Nishijima for their comments on the earlier version of the manuscript. This study was partly supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan (S-9).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecosystem Studies, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan

    Tadashi Miyashita

  2. Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK

    Tatsuya Amano

  3. Institute of Biogeosciences, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 2-15, Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka-city, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan

    Takehisa Yamakita

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  1. Tadashi Miyashita
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  2. Tatsuya Amano
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  3. Takehisa Yamakita
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Correspondence to Tadashi Miyashita .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga, Japan

    Shin -ichi Nakano

  2. Department of Biology Center for Asian Conservation Ecology, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Tetsukazu Yahara

  3. Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

    Tohru Nakashizuka

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Miyashita, T., Amano, T., Yamakita, T. (2014). Effects of Ecosystem Diversity on Species Richness and Ecosystem Functioning and Services: A General Conceptualization. In: Nakano, Si., Yahara, T., Nakashizuka, T. (eds) Integrative Observations and Assessments. Ecological Research Monographs(). Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54783-9_2

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