Abstract (< 150 words)
The stability of plant biomass production in the face of environmental
change is fundamental for maintaining terrestrial ecosystem functioning,
as plant biomass is the ultimate source of energy for nearly all life
forms. However, most studies have focused on the stabilizing effect of
plant diversity, neglecting the effect of soil biodiversity, the largest
reservoirs of biodiversity on Earth.
Here we investigated the effects
of plant and soil biodiversity on the temporal stability of biomass
production under varying simulated precipitation in grassland
microcosms. Soil biodiversity loss reduced temporal stability by
suppressing asynchronous responses
of plant functional groups.
Greater plant diversity, especially in terms of functional diversity,
promoted temporal stability, but this effect was independent of soil
biodiversity loss. Moreover, multitrophic biodiversity, plant and soil
biodiversity combined, was positively associated with temporal
stability. Our study highlights the importance of maintaining the
biodiversity of multiple trophic levels for sustainable biomass
production.