Beyond carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus: Exploring the relationship
between elemental diversity and ecosystem functioning
Abstract
The elemental composition of plants (i.e., the elementome) relates to
their functional traits which has important implications for
understanding nutrient cycles and energy flows within ecosystems.
Theoretically, elemental diversity (ED) captures functional diversity by
comparing the n-dimensional elementome of the present species in a
community. However, empirical evidence linking ED with ecosystem
functioning is still lacking. We collated an unprecedented volume of
data (> 2500 species and 14 analyzed elements from leaves,
stems, trunks, and fine roots) across eight biomes from 72 sites to
explore the spatial patterns and drivers of ED and its relationship with
ecosystem productivity and stability. Our results revealed that
interannual variability in temperature is the main factor explaining ED
spatial patterns. We provide strong empirical evidence indicating that
ecosystems with higher ED show higher productivity and stability. The
results provide important insights into how elementome differences among
organisms affect ecosystem function across ecosystems and biomes.