Scientists say biodiversity is crucial to ecosystem productivity

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Brown University scientists Osvaldo Sala and Pedro Flombaum conducted their studies of the effect of plant species diversity on ecosystem productivity in the Patagonian steppe a semiarid grassland located on the east side of the Andes Mountains in Ar ...
Brown University scientists Osvaldo Sala and Pedro Flombaum conducted their studies of the effect of plant species diversity on ecosystem productivity in the Patagonian steppe, a semiarid grassland located on the east side of the Andes Mountains in Argentina. Credit: Courtesy of Osvaldo Sala, Brown University

In the first experiment involving a natural environment, scientists at Brown University have shown that richer plant diversity significantly enhances an ecosystem's productivity. The finding underscores the benefits of biodiversity, such as capturing carbon dioxide, a main contributor to global warming.


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