Every species counts: Value of biodiversity is particularly high in poor environmental conditions

EarthzineEarth Observation

The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning greatly depends on the prevalent environmental conditions. An interdisciplinary team consisting of microbiologists and ecological modellers has now tested this hypothesis which is considered crucial for biodiversity research. Through laboratory experiments on microbial communities, the researchers were able to demonstrate that although bacterial species may exhibit functional redundancy, the magnitude of this redundancy is strongly affected by environmental conditions.