Trade‐offs among restored ecosystem functions are context‐dependent in Mediterranean‐type regions

Global biodiversity hotspots, including Mediterranean‐type ecosystems worldwide, are highly threatened by global change that alters biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and services. Some restoration activities enhance ecosystem functions by reintroducing plant species based on known relationships between plant traits and ecosystem processes. Achieving multiple functions across different site conditions, however, requires understanding how abiotic factors like climate and soil, along with plant assemblages, influence ecosystem functions, including their trade‐offs and synergies. We used the ModEST ecosystem simulation model, which integrates carbon, water, and nutrient processes with plant traits, to assess the relationships between restored plant assemblages and ecosystem functions in Mediterranean‐type climates and soils. We investigated whether maximised carbon increment, water use efficiency, and nitrogen use efficiency, along with their trade‐offs and synergies, varied across different abiotic contexts. Further, we asked whether assemblages that maximised functions varied across environments and among these functions. We found that maximised ecosystem carbon increment and nitrogen use efficiency occurred under moist, warm conditions, while water use efficiency peaked under drier conditions. Generally, the assemblage that maximised one function differed from those for other maximised functions. Synergies were rare, except between water and nitrogen use efficiencies in loam soils across most climates. Trade‐offs among maximised functions were common, varying in strength with abiotic context and plant assemblages, and were more pronounced in sandy loam soils compared to clay‐rich soils. Our findings suggest that due to variation in abiotic conditions within and across Mediterranean‐type regions at the global scale, site‐specific plant assemblages are required to maximise ecosystem functions. Thus, lessons from a single site cannot be transferred to another site, even where the same plant functional types are available for restoration. Our simulation results offer valuable insights into potential ecosystem performance under specific abiotic conditions following restoration with particular plant functional types, thereby informing local restoration efforts.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ecography
Published
2025-04-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecog.07609
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.31

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article

Trade‐offs among restored ecosystem functions are context‐dependent in Mediterranean‐type regions

José M. Grünzweig, Katja Irob, Oksana Y. Buzhdygan, Cristina Branquinho et al.
1 citations
Ecography
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
2.31
article

Trade‐offs among restored ecosystem functions are context‐dependent in Mediterranean‐type regions

José M. Grünzweig, Katja Irob, Oksana Y. Buzhdygan, Cristina Branquinho, Jennifer A. Holm, Efrat Sheffer, Trevor F. Keenan, Natalia Rodríguez‐Ramírez, Fernando T. Maestre, Britta Tietjen, Enrique Valencia, Melanie Köbel, Frank M. Schurr, Lohengrin A. Cavieres, Jörn Pagel, Paloma Ruiz‐Benito, Michael P. Perring, Elsa E. Cleland, Sebastian Fiedler, José A. F. Monteiro, Jordi Cortina
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Global biodiversity hotspots, including Mediterranean‐type ecosystems worldwide, are highly threatened by global change that alters biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and services. Some restoration activities enhance ecosystem functions by reintroducing plant species based on known relationships between plant traits and ecosystem processes. Achieving multiple functions across different site conditions, however, requires understanding how abiotic factors like climate and soil, along with plant assemblages, influence ecosystem functions, including their trade‐offs and synergies. We used the ModEST ecosystem simulation model, which integrates carbon, water, and nutrient processes with plant traits, to assess the relationships between restored plant assemblages and ecosystem functions in Mediterranean‐type climates and soils. We investigated whether maximised carbon increment, water use efficiency, and nitrogen use efficiency, along with their trade‐offs and synergies, varied across different abiotic contexts. Further, we asked whether assemblages that maximised functions varied across environments and among these functions. We found that maximised ecosystem carbon increment and nitrogen use efficiency occurred under moist, warm conditions, while water use efficiency peaked under drier conditions. Generally, the assemblage that maximised one function differed from those for other maximised functions. Synergies were rare, except between water and nitrogen use efficiencies in loam soils across most climates. Trade‐offs among maximised functions were common, varying in strength with abiotic context and plant assemblages, and were more pronounced in sandy loam soils compared to clay‐rich soils. Our findings suggest that due to variation in abiotic conditions within and across Mediterranean‐type regions at the global scale, site‐specific plant assemblages are required to maximise ecosystem functions. Thus, lessons from a single site cannot be transferred to another site, even where the same plant functional types are available for restoration. Our simulation results offer valuable insights into potential ecosystem performance under specific abiotic conditions following restoration with particular plant functional types, thereby informing local restoration efforts.

EcographyVol. 2025(8)
University of Hohenheim (DE), Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES), University of Alicante (ES), University of Lisbon (PT), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US), University of Concepción (CL), The University of Western Australia (AU), Universidad de Alcalá (ES), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL), Aix-Marseille Université (FR), Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart (DE), University of California San Diego (US), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (GB), Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (CL), French National Agency for Water and Aquatic Environments (FR), Berlin Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (DE), Statistische Amt Basel-Stadt (CH), Office Français de la Biodiversité, Technische Universität Berlin (DE), University of Bayreuth (DE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (SA), University of Göttingen (DE), Freie Universität Berlin (DE), University of California, Berkeley (US)
U.S. Department of Energy, Departamento Administrativo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (COLCIENCIAS), Comunidad de Madrid, Strong, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Generalitat Valenciana, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Universidad de Alcalá, Freie Universität Berlin, Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Science, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Biological and Environmental Research
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
2.31
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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