Biodiversity and climate extremes: known interactions and research gaps

Mahecha, M. D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3031-613X, Bastos, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7368-7806, Bohn, F. J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7328-1187, Eisenhauer, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0371-6720, Feilhauer, H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5758-6303, Hickler, T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4668-7552, Kalesse‐Los, H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6699-7040, Migliavacca, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3546-8407, Otto, F. E. L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8166-5917, Peng, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4071-0512, Sippel, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4510-4458, Tegen, I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3700-3232, Weigelt, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6242-603X, Wendisch, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4652-5561, Wirth, C., Al‐Halbouni, D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2254-3914, Deneke, H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8595-533X, Doktor, D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4761-3344, Dunker, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7276-776X, Duveiller, G. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6471-8404, Ehrlich, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0860-8216, Foth, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1164-3576, García‐García, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1333-4774, Guerra, C. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4917-2105, Guimarães‐Steinicke, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7829-641X, Hartmann, H., Henning, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9267-7825, Herrmann, H. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7044-2101, Hu, P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4223-5161, Ji, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8154-0508, Kattenborn, T. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7381-3828, Kolleck, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5499-8617, Kretschmer, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2756-9526, Kühn, I. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1691-8249, Luttkus, M. L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7307-0622, Maahn, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2580-9100, Mönks, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1603-1173, Mora, K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3323-4490, Pöhlker, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6852-0756, Reichstein, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5736-1112, Rüger, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2371-4172, Sánchez‐Parra, B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3585-3201, Schäfer, M., Stratmann, F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1977-1158, Tesche, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0096-4785, Wehner, B. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0611-4466, Wieneke, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8729-9751, Winkler, A. J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6574-4471, Wolf, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7848-3725, Zaehle, S. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5602-7956, Zscheischler, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6045-1629 and Quaas, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7057-194X (2024) Biodiversity and climate extremes: known interactions and research gaps. Earth's Future, 12 (6). e2023EF003963. ISSN 2328-4277 doi: 10.1029/2023ef003963

Abstract/Summary

Climate extremes are on the rise. Impacts of extreme climate and weather events on ecosystem services and ultimately human well‐being can be partially attenuated by the organismic, structural, and functional diversity of the affected land surface. However, the ongoing transformation of terrestrial ecosystems through intensified exploitation and management may put this buffering capacity at risk. Here, we summarize the evidence that reductions in biodiversity can destabilize the functioning of ecosystems facing climate extremes. We then explore if impaired ecosystem functioning could, in turn, exacerbate climate extremes. We argue that only a comprehensive approach, incorporating both ecological and hydrometeorological perspectives, enables us to understand and predict the entire feedback system between altered biodiversity and climate extremes. This ambition, however, requires a reformulation of current research priorities to emphasize the bidirectional effects that link ecology and atmospheric processes.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/116814
Identification Number/DOI	10.1029/2023ef003963
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences > Department of Meteorology
Publisher	American Geophysical Union (AGU)
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