Plant Diversity Is Key to Maintaining Productive Vegetation
http://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=124037&org=NSF&from=news[font face=Serif]Press Release 12-086
[font size=5]Plant Diversity Is Key to Maintaining Productive Vegetation[/font]
[font size=4]Long-term study finds that each species plays a role in maintaining a productive ecosystem[/font]
[font size=3]May 3, 2012
Vegetation, such as a patch of prairie or a forest stand, is more productive in the long run when more plant species are present, results of a new study show.
The long-term study of plant biodiversity found that each species plays a role in maintaining a productive ecosystem, especially when a long time horizon is considered.
The research found that every additional species in a plot contributed to a gradual increase in both soil fertility and biomass production over a 14-year period.
This week's issue of the journal Science publishes the results. They highlight the importance of managing for diversity in prairies, forests and crops, according to Peter Reich, lead author of the paper and a forest ecologist at the University of Minnesota.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1217909
See also
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112713907