Ecosystem Function

Ecosystem function describes the array of biological, geochemical and physical processes that occur within an ecosystem—such as primary production, nutrient cycling, decomposition and climate regulation—and underpin the services on which human societies depend. These processes emerge from interactions among organisms at multiple trophic levels—from microbial decomposers and soil fauna, through plant communities, to herbivores and predators—and from their responses to environmental drivers like climate, land use and resource availability. Biodiversity enhances ecosystem function through complementary resource use, functional redundancy and stabilising feedbacks, yet altered disturbance regimes, habitat loss and nutrient enrichment can disrupt these relationships. As global change accelerates, understanding how species diversity and community composition govern multifunctionality, resilience and the delivery of provisioning, regulating and cultural services has become central to conservation and management worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Long‐term nutrient enrichment weakens belowground biodiversity–function links by driving soil acidification. A 13-year field experiment revealed that additions of nitrogen and phosphorus reduce soil pH, which in turn diminishes bacterial, fungal and nematode diversity and impairs multiple functions related to carbon and nutrient cycling. This work highlights soil acidification—rather than nutrient excess per se—as a key mechanism undermining belowground contributions to ecosystem multifunctionality.

A global synthesis using large‐scale dryland and temperate datasets demonstrated that soil microbial richness has a direct positive effect on multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems. After accounting for climate, soil properties and spatial factors, microbial diversity remained the strongest predictor of the simultaneous performance of multiple functions—such as nutrient mineralisation, decomposition and soil aggregation—emphasising the universal importance of conserving microbial communities to sustain ecosystem services.

Research from all publishers

Field studies in semiarid grasslands showed that experimentally reduced precipitation simplifies soil microbial networks and shifts interaction patterns toward competition. This reduced network complexity correlates with declines in soil multifunctionality under drought, underscoring the role of microbial community structure in supporting multiple functions amid changing moisture regimes.

In agricultural systems, combined applications of biochar and organic fertilisers were found to increase the abundance of key microbial functional groups involved in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur cycling. After a decade of treatment, multifunctionality—measured across productivity, nutrient supply and enzyme activities—rose by nearly 30%, illustrating how targeted amendments can bolster both biodiversity and ecosystem services in managed landscapes.

A mesocosm experiment manipulating both litter diversity and soil microbial richness revealed that above‐ and belowground biodiversity independently and interactively enhance multiple functions—plant growth, litter decomposition, soil respiration and enzyme activity. Fungal decomposers emerged as particularly important for multifunctionality, while positive interactions between litter and microbial diversity demonstrated the value of integrated biodiversity management.

Ecosystem Function publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in ecosystem function across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ecosystem multifunctionality: The simultaneous performance of multiple ecosystem processes and services.

Functional redundancy: The presence of multiple species that contribute similarly to a given function, providing a buffer against species loss.

Soil acidification: Reduction in soil pH often driven by nutrient inputs, which can alter microbial communities and impair ecosystem functions.

Microbial network complexity: The structure and strength of interactions among soil microorganisms, influencing stability and multifunctionality.

Biochar: A stable, carbon‐rich material produced by pyrolysis of organic matter, used as a soil amendment to improve fertility and sequester carbon.

References

1. Nutrient-induced acidification modulates soil biodiversity-function relationships. Nature Communications (2024).
2. Microbial diversity drives multifunctionality in terrestrial ecosystems. Nature Communications (2016).
3. Decreased soil multifunctionality is associated with altered microbial network properties under precipitation reduction in a semiarid grassland. iMeta (2023).
4. Biochar and organic fertilizer applications enhance soil functional microbial abundance and agroecosystem multifunctionality. Biochar (2024).
5. Litter and soil biodiversity jointly drive ecosystem functions. Global Change Biology (2023).
6. The Link Between Diversity, Ecosystem Functions, and Ecosystem Services.