β Diversity contributes to ecosystem processes more than by simply summing the parts

Abstract

Pasari et al. (1) provide a valuable fresh perspective on the role of biodiversity in influencing ecosystem processes. Importantly, they move beyond the traditional focus on local diversity (α diversity) and highlight the potential importance of biodiversity at larger scales (β diversity and γ diversity) in influencing important ecosystem processes. Despite this unique perspective, their analysis does not consider several important mechanisms by which β diversity could affect ecosystem processes. We highlight important limitations in the analyses by Pasari et al. (1) and illustrate how these could be overcome through unique combinations of macroscale spatial analyses and ecological modeling.