Published in

American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science, 5325(277), p. 500-504, 1997

DOI: 10.1126/science.277.5325.500

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Biotic control over the functioning of ecosystems

Journal article published in 1997 by F. Stuart Chapin, Brian H. Walker, Richard J. Hobbs, David U. Hooper, John H. Lawton, Osvaldo E. Sala ORCID, David Tilman
This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Upload
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Upload
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Policy details
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Changes in the abundance of species — especially those that influence water and nutrient dynamics, trophic interactions, or disturbance regime — affect the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Diversity is also functionally important, both because it increases the probability of including species that have strong ecosystem effects and because it can increase the efficiency of resource use. Differences in environmental sensitivity among functionally similar species give stability to ecosystem processes, whereas differences in sensitivity among functionally different species make ecosystems more vulnerable to change. Current global environmental changes that affect species composition and diversity are therefore profoundly altering the functioning of the biosphere.