Evidence is increasing for positive effects of α-diversity on ecosystem functioning. We
highlight here the crucial role of β-diversity–a hitherto underexplored facet of biodiversity–for …

The inherent complexity of high‐diversity systems can make them particularly difficult to
understand. The relatively recent introduction of functional approaches, which seek to infer …

Sustainable and resilient agricultural systems are needed to feed and fuel a growing human
population. However, the current model of agricultural intensification which produces high …

Microorganisms are vital in mediating the earth's biogeochemical cycles; yet, despite our
rapidly increasing ability to explore complex environmental microbial communities, the …

Insects play a key role in the regulation and dynamics of many ecosystem services (ES).
However, this role is often assumed, with limited or no experimental quantification of its real …

A decade after environmental scientists integrated high‐throughput sequencing
technologies in their toolbox, the genomics‐based monitoring of anthropogenic impacts on …

Trait‐based approaches are increasingly being used to test mechanisms underlying species
assemblages and biotic interactions across a wide range of organisms including terrestrial …

Land-use change threatens global biodiversity and may reshape the tree of life by favoring
some lineages over others. Whether phylogenetic diversity loss compromises ecosystem …

The ability to explain why multispecies assemblages produce greater biomass compared to
monocultures, has been a central goal in the quest to understand biodiversity effects on …

Owing to the conceptual complexity of functional diversity (FD), a multitude of different
methods are available for measuring it, with most being operational at only a small range of …