Publisher Description

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has emerged as one of the most exciting and dynamic areas in contemporary ecology. Increasing domination of ecosystems by humans is steadily transforming them into depauperate systems. How will this loss of biodiversity affect the functioning and stability of natural and managed ecosystems? This volume provides the first comprehensive and balanced coverage of recent empirical and theoretical research onthis question. It reviews the evidence, provides bases for the resolution of the debate that has divided scientists on these issues, and offers perspectives on how current knowledge can be extended toother ecosystems, other organisms and other spatial and temporal scales. It cuts across the traditional division between community ecology and ecosystem ecology, and announces a new ecological synthesis in which the dynamics of biological diversity and the biogeochemical functioning of the earth system are merged.

Author Biography

Michel LoreauProfessor at Pierre et Marie Curie University, ParisBelgian, born Uccle, Belgium 22/04/54 Shahid NaeemAssociate Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Washington, SeattleUSA, born San Francisco, California, USA, 16/10/52 Pablo InchaustiResearcher at Pierre et Marie Curie University, ParisItalian, born Montivideo, Uraguay 21/03/64

Table of Contents

A. Introduction1: Naeem, Loreau, Inchausti: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: the emergence of a synthetic framework2: Mooney: The debate on biodiversity and ecosystem functioningB. Core areas of debate: biodiversity and ecosystem processes in grassland ecosystems3: Tilman et al: Plant diversity and composition: effects on productivity and nutrient dynamics of experimental grasslands4: Hector, Loreau & Schmid: Biodiversity manipulation experiments: studies replicated at multiple sites5: Huston & McBride: Evaluating the relative strengths of biotic versus abiotic controls of ecosystem processes6: Schmid et al: The design and analysis of biodiversity experimentsC. New perspectives on ecosystem stability7: Loreau et al: A new look at the relationship between stability and diversity8: Hughes et al: Do species interactions buffer environmental variation (in theory)?9: de Ruiter et al: Biodiversity and stability in soil ecosystems: patterns, processes and the effects of disturbance10: Levine, Kennedy & Naeem: Neighbourhood-scale effects of species diversity on biological invasions and their relation to community patternsD. Extending the scope to other systems11: Petchey et al: Contributions of aquatic model systems to our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning12: Emmerson & Huxham: How can marine ecology contribute to the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning debate?13: Rafaelli et al: Multitrophic dynamics and ecosystem processes14: Wardle & van der Putten: Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and the aboveground-belowground linkages15: Mikola, Bardgett & Hedlund: Biodiversity and ecosystem function in soil decomposer food webs16: van der Heijden & Cornelissen: The critical role of plant-microbe interactions on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: arbuscular mycorrhizal associations as an exampleE. Extending the scope to other dimensions17: Hooper et al: Species diversity, functional diversity and ecosystem functioning18: Bengtsson et al: Slippin' and slidin' between the scales: the scaling components of the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relations19: Vendermeer et al: Effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning in managed ecosystemsF. Synthesis20: Loreau, Naeem & Inchausti: Perspectives and challenges

Review

`This is the hottest area in ecology and environmental sciences right now. I think this is an excellent proposal.'Professor James Grover, University of Texas at Arlington,`The outline is excellent. This is going to be the hottest book in ecology over the next 5 to 10 years.'Professor Michael Hochberg, Universite de Montpellier 2, France

Long Description

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning has emerged as one of the most exciting and dynamic areas in contemporary ecology. Increasing domination of ecosystems by humans is steadily transforming them into depauperate systems. How will this loss of biodiversity affect the functioning and stability of natural and managed ecosystems? This volume provides the first comprehensive and balanced coverage of recent empirical and theoretical research on
this question. It reviews the evidence, provides bases for the resolution of the debate that has divided scientists on these issues, and offers perspectives on how current knowledge can be extended to
other ecosystems, other organisms and other spatial and temporal scales. It cuts across the traditional division between community ecology and ecosystem ecology, and announces a new ecological synthesis in which the dynamics of biological diversity and the biogeochemical functioning of the earth system are merged.

Review Text

`This is the hottest area in ecology and environmental sciences right now. I think this is an excellent proposal.'
Professor James Grover, University of Texas at Arlington,
`The outline is excellent. This is going to be the hottest book in ecology over the next 5 to 10 years.'
Professor Michael Hochberg, Universite de Montpellier 2, France

Review Quote

This volume will stand as a benchmark for the field and should be on every ecologist's bookshelf

Promotional "Headline"

A. Introduction1. Naeem, Loreau, Inchausti: Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: the emergence of a synthetic framework 2. Mooney: The debate on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning B. Core areas of debate: biodiversity and ecosystem processes in grassland ecosystems3. Tilman et al: Plant diversity and composition: effects on productivity and nutrient dynamics of experimental grasslands 4. Hector, Loreau and Schmid: Biodiversity manipulation experiments: studies replicated at multiple sites 5. Huston and McBride: Evaluating the relative strengths of biotic versus abiotic controls of ecosystem processes 6. Schmid et al: The design and analysis of biodiversity experiments C. New perspectives on ecosystem stability7. Loreau et al: A new look at the relationship between stability and diversity 8. Hughes et al: Do species interactions buffer environmental variation (in theory)? 9. de Ruiter et al: Biodiversity and stability in soil ecosystems: patterns, processes and the effects of disturbance 10. Levine, Kennedy and Naeem: Neighbourhood-scale effects of species diversity on biological invasions and their relation to community patterns D. Extending the scope to other systems11. Petchey et al: Contributions of aquatic model systems to our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning 12. Emmerson and Huxham: How can marine ecology contribute to the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning debate? 13. Rafaelli et al: Multitrophic dynamics and ecosystem processes 14. Wardle and van der Putten: Biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and the aboveground-belowground linkages 15. Mikola, Bardgett and Hedlund: Biodiversity and ecosystem function in soil decomposer food webs 16. van der Heijden and Cornelissen: The critical role of plant-microbe interactions on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: arbuscular mycorrhizal associations as an example E. Extending the scope to other dimensions17. Hooper et al: Species diversity, functional diversity and ecosystem functioning 18. Bengtsson et al: Slippin' and slidin' between the scales: the scaling components of the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relations 19. Vendermeer et al: Effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning in managed ecosystems F. Synthesis20. Loreau, Naeem and Inchausti: Perspectives and challenges

Feature

The first synthesis of the current debate on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning
One of the hottest and most controversial topics in ecology and environmental science, and likely to remain so for several years
Contributions from the leading names in the field

Details