Plant Study

[foodchain]

"Abstract View"

"PLANT ASSEMBLAGE COMPOSITION EXPLAINS AND PREDICTS HOW BIODIVERSITY AFFECTS SALT MARSH FUNCTIONING"

"Evidence for strong species selection effects led us to predict that three species would eventually dominate our parallel field experiment that tested the same assemblages. Exactly that happened in nine years, but (we predict) without losing function, because the site retained the three highest-performing species. Biodiversity loss was nonrandom in the field, and because trios with two top performers sustained critical functions in the greenhouse, we predict that many functions will not decline, even if the salt marsh becomes dominated by a single species, e.g., S. virginica. Unmeasured functions (e.g., resilience) might not persist, however. Knowing how assemblages perform made biodiversity–ecosystem function theory both explanatory and predictive."

 

"Keywords: assemblages; BEF theory; biodiversity; biomass; complementarity; function; nitrogen; root : shoot ratios; Salicornia virginica; salt marsh; selection effects"

 

http://www.esajournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1890%2F06-1947.1

 

I find the excerpt very interesting. If I understand this correctly that means part of the greenhouse effect could be a substantial change in the biosphere overall from selective pressures or values changing. I wonder how much of an impact this would have on any possible biologic migration.

[Science Mind]

I am not an expert but I imagine that the result you predicted is accurate. The true question however is wether or not the effect has negitive results.

[SkepticLance]

The world has seen numerous global extinction events, and five very major ones. Each was followed by a rapid phase of new speciation - a 'mad rush' into new biodiversity to replace the older, lost biodiversity.

 

Humans have caused the extinctions of lots of organisms. I do not believe it has quite got to the stage of calling it the sixth great global extinction event, but there have been a lot of species lost. Going by biological history, this will be followed by a further phase of speciation and new biodiversity. In fact, whether we notice it or not, we can predict that the new speciation event must already be under way. New genetically diverse populations forming, adapting to changing conditions.

 

Global warming has not, so far, caused much, if anything, in the way of species extinctions. However, if and when it does, it would be a contributing factor towards this new speciation event.