Hill-Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components

Anne Chao; Chun-Huo Chiu; Kai-Hsiang Hu; Fons van Der Plas; Marc W. Cadotte; Oliver Mitesser; Simon Thorn; Akira S. Mori; Michael Scherer-Lorenzen; Nico Eisenhauer; Claus Baessler; Benjamin M. Delory; Heike Feldhaar; Andreas Fichtner; Torsten Hothorn; Marcell K. Peters; Kerstin Pierick; Goddert von Oheimb; Joerg Mueller

doi:10.1111/ele.14336

Hill-Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components

Anne Chao
, Chun-Huo Chiu
, Kai-Hsiang Hu
, Fons van Der Plas
, Marc W. Cadotte
, Oliver Mitesser
, Simon Thorn
, Akira S. Mori
, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen
, Nico Eisenhauer
, Claus Baessler
, Benjamin M. Delory
, Heike Feldhaar
, Andreas Fichtner
, Torsten Hothorn
, Marcell K. Peters
, Kerstin Pierick
, Goddert von Oheimb
, Joerg Mueller

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided strong evidence and mechanistic underpinnings to support positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning, from single to multiple functions. This research has provided knowledge gained mainly at the local alpha scale (i.e. within ecosystems), but the increasing homogenization of landscapes in the Anthropocene has raised the potential that declining biodiversity at the beta (across ecosystems) and gamma scales is likely to also impact ecosystem functioning. Drawing on biodiversity theory, we propose a new statistical framework based on Hill–Chao numbers. The framework allows decomposition of multifunctionality at gamma scales into alpha and beta components, a critical but hitherto missing tool in BEF research; it also allows weighting of individual ecosystem functions. Through the proposed decomposition, new BEF results for beta and gamma scales are discovered. Our novel approach is applicable across ecosystems and connects local- and landscape-scale BEF assessments from experiments to natural settings.

Original language	English
Article number	e14336
Number of pages	14
Journal	Ecology Letters
Volume	27
Issue number	1
Early online date	Dec 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14336
Publication status	Published - Jan 2024
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Funding

The authors thank the Senior Editor (John Drake), the Editor (Jason Matthiopoulos) and four reviewers (Robert Bagchi and three anonymous) for providing very thoughtful and constructive comments, which have led to substantial improvement in this paper. The publication was produced as part of two workshops of the BETA-FOR Research Unit, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)-459717468. Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.

Funders	Funder number
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft	459717468
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Keywords

Alpha multifunctionality
BETA-FOR project
Beta multifunctionality
Diversity decomposition
Ecosystem functions
Gamma multifunctionality
Hill numbers
Species diversity

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10.1111/ele.14336Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

Chao, A., Chiu, C.-H., Hu, K.-H., van Der Plas, F., Cadotte, M. W., Mitesser, O., Thorn, S., Mori, A. S., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Eisenhauer, N., Baessler, C., Delory, B. M., Feldhaar, H., Fichtner, A., Hothorn, T., Peters, M. K., Pierick, K., von Oheimb, G., & Mueller, J. (2024). Hill-Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components. Ecology Letters, 27(1), Article e14336. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14336

@article{629bc038a22f4786901fe1e03c35c52b,

title = "Hill-Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components",

abstract = "Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided strong evidence and mechanistic underpinnings to support positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning, from single to multiple functions. This research has provided knowledge gained mainly at the local alpha scale (i.e. within ecosystems), but the increasing homogenization of landscapes in the Anthropocene has raised the potential that declining biodiversity at the beta (across ecosystems) and gamma scales is likely to also impact ecosystem functioning. Drawing on biodiversity theory, we propose a new statistical framework based on Hill–Chao numbers. The framework allows decomposition of multifunctionality at gamma scales into alpha and beta components, a critical but hitherto missing tool in BEF research; it also allows weighting of individual ecosystem functions. Through the proposed decomposition, new BEF results for beta and gamma scales are discovered. Our novel approach is applicable across ecosystems and connects local- and landscape-scale BEF assessments from experiments to natural settings.",

keywords = "Alpha multifunctionality, BETA-FOR project, Beta multifunctionality, Diversity decomposition, Ecosystem functions, Gamma multifunctionality, Hill numbers, Species diversity",

author = "Anne Chao and Chun-Huo Chiu and Kai-Hsiang Hu and \{van Der Plas\}, Fons and Cadotte, \{Marc W.\} and Oliver Mitesser and Simon Thorn and Mori, \{Akira S.\} and Michael Scherer-Lorenzen and Nico Eisenhauer and Claus Baessler and Delory, \{Benjamin M.\} and Heike Feldhaar and Andreas Fichtner and Torsten Hothorn and Peters, \{Marcell K.\} and Kerstin Pierick and \{von Oheimb\}, Goddert and Joerg Mueller",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd.",

year = "2024",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1111/ele.14336",

language = "English",

volume = "27",

journal = "Ecology Letters",

issn = "1461-023X",

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Chao, A, Chiu, C-H, Hu, K-H, van Der Plas, F, Cadotte, MW, Mitesser, O, Thorn, S, Mori, AS, Scherer-Lorenzen, M, Eisenhauer, N, Baessler, C, Delory, BM, Feldhaar, H, Fichtner, A, Hothorn, T, Peters, MK, Pierick, K, von Oheimb, G & Mueller, J 2024, 'Hill-Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components', Ecology Letters, vol. 27, no. 1, e14336. https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14336

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hill-Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components

AU - Chao, Anne

AU - Chiu, Chun-Huo

AU - Hu, Kai-Hsiang

AU - van Der Plas, Fons

AU - Cadotte, Marc W.

AU - Mitesser, Oliver

AU - Thorn, Simon

AU - Mori, Akira S.

AU - Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael

AU - Eisenhauer, Nico

AU - Baessler, Claus

AU - Delory, Benjamin M.

AU - Feldhaar, Heike

AU - Fichtner, Andreas

AU - Hothorn, Torsten

AU - Peters, Marcell K.

AU - Pierick, Kerstin

AU - von Oheimb, Goddert

AU - Mueller, Joerg

PY - 2024/1

Y1 - 2024/1

N2 - Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided strong evidence and mechanistic underpinnings to support positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning, from single to multiple functions. This research has provided knowledge gained mainly at the local alpha scale (i.e. within ecosystems), but the increasing homogenization of landscapes in the Anthropocene has raised the potential that declining biodiversity at the beta (across ecosystems) and gamma scales is likely to also impact ecosystem functioning. Drawing on biodiversity theory, we propose a new statistical framework based on Hill–Chao numbers. The framework allows decomposition of multifunctionality at gamma scales into alpha and beta components, a critical but hitherto missing tool in BEF research; it also allows weighting of individual ecosystem functions. Through the proposed decomposition, new BEF results for beta and gamma scales are discovered. Our novel approach is applicable across ecosystems and connects local- and landscape-scale BEF assessments from experiments to natural settings.

AB - Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has provided strong evidence and mechanistic underpinnings to support positive effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning, from single to multiple functions. This research has provided knowledge gained mainly at the local alpha scale (i.e. within ecosystems), but the increasing homogenization of landscapes in the Anthropocene has raised the potential that declining biodiversity at the beta (across ecosystems) and gamma scales is likely to also impact ecosystem functioning. Drawing on biodiversity theory, we propose a new statistical framework based on Hill–Chao numbers. The framework allows decomposition of multifunctionality at gamma scales into alpha and beta components, a critical but hitherto missing tool in BEF research; it also allows weighting of individual ecosystem functions. Through the proposed decomposition, new BEF results for beta and gamma scales are discovered. Our novel approach is applicable across ecosystems and connects local- and landscape-scale BEF assessments from experiments to natural settings.

KW - Alpha multifunctionality

KW - BETA-FOR project

KW - Beta multifunctionality

KW - Diversity decomposition

KW - Ecosystem functions

KW - Gamma multifunctionality

KW - Hill numbers

KW - Species diversity

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DO - 10.1111/ele.14336

M3 - Article

C2 - 38073071

SN - 1461-023X

VL - 27

JO - Ecology Letters

JF - Ecology Letters

IS - 1

M1 - e14336

ER -

Hill-Chao numbers allow decomposing gamma multifunctionality into alpha and beta components

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

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