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Population and community ecology and ecosystem ecology provide two different perspectives on ecological systems, their structure, their functioning, their dynamics and their evolution. While population and community ecology takes as its starting point the population and its interactions with other populations, ecosystem ecology is mainly concerned with the flows of matter and energy in the overall system composed of biological organisms and their abiotic environment. Linking Community and Ecosystem Ecology (LINKECOL) However, populations and communities do An ESF scientific programme not exist in isolation; they are parts of ecosystems, and, as such, they are subjected to constraints arising from ecosystem functioning, in particular energy dissipation and nutrient cycling. At the same time, ecosystems do not exist without their biologi- cal components; the latter impose their own constraints on ecosystem processes, as the disruptions generated by some biological invasions attest. And in the face of the growing threat of a massive loss of biologi- cal diversity, interest is increasing concern- ing the role of biodiversity in ecosystem processes. This has created an urgent need to integrate the two subdisciplines and it is the principal aim of the LINKECOL programme to unify these different perspectives. Such integration is essential not only to advance our fundamental understanding of natural and managed ecosystems but also to provide answers to more applied questions such as the impacts of biodiversity loss or species The European Science invasions on ecosystem sustainability. Foundation acts as a catalyst for the development of science by bringing together leading scientists and funding agencies to debate, plan and implement pan-European initiatives. 1 This separation of the two subdisci- plines is understandable as they partly address issues at different hierarchical levels and different spatial and temporal scales. But it is harmful insofar as it is an obstacle to their unity and mutual enrichment. Populations and communities do not exist in isolation; they are parts of ecosystems, and, as such, they are subjected to constraints arising from ecosystem functioning, in particular energy dissipation and nutrient cycling. These constraints can deeply alter the nature of species interac- tions and community properties such Scientific background as food-web stability. On the other hand, ecosystems do not exist with- The need for integration of popula- out their biological components; the tion/community and ecosystem latter impose their own constraints ecology on ecosystem processes, as the The vigorous growth in ecology from disruptions generated by some its origins in the early years of the biological invasions attest. In the face 20th century has been accompanied of the growing threat of a massive by the creation of numerous subdis- loss of biological diversity, interest is ciplines. Although specialisation may increasing concerning the role of be inevitable, it also creates problems biodiversity in ecosystem processes. because conceptual frameworks in There is today an urgent need for different subdisciplines often diverge integration of the two subdisciplines. over time. This is nowhere more Such an integration is already emerg- apparent than between two of the ing on a world-wide scale as well as in major subdisciplines of ecology: Europe, as a result of both basic and population and community ecology applied scientific questions: How will on the one hand and ecosystem changes in species and genetic ecology on the other. These two diversity affect ecosystem processes subdisciplines have grown largely and the related services they provide independently, each having its own to humankind? How will these concepts, theories and methodolo- changes affect the stability of ecosys- gies. Population and community tems, and their ability to withstand ecology is mainly concerned with the natural and anthropogenic perturba- dynamics, evolution, diversity and tions? How do biological organisms complexity of the biological compo- and abiotic factors interact to regu- nents of ecosystems; its starting late the flow of energy, the structure point is the population and its of the food web and the cycling of interactions with other populations. chemical elements in aquatic and Ecosystem ecology is mainly con- terrestrial ecosystems? On a large cerned with the functioning of the time scale, are plants, animals and overall system composed of biologi- micro-organisms involved in mutu- cal organisms and their abiotic alistic relationships mediated by environment; its starting point is the material cycling despite their appar- flow of matter or energy among ent immediate antagonism? Can functional compartments. 2 indirect interactions evolve by natural selection and significantly influence species traits? These are some examples of the questions that have recently received growing attention. Both population, community and ecosystem ecology have a long history in Europe, but, as mentioned above, these subdisciplines have had largely separate developments, with different strengths in different countries and laboratories. Attempts towards the goal of integration of the subdisciplines are developing rapidly through new experimental knowledge and expertise, and attract The effects of plant species and theoretical approaches, but they new groups and researchers to the diversity on ecosystem processes are still dispersed, both scientifically field. It will also provide a European are investigated using field and geographically. European ecology contribution to the Diversitas and experiments in European grasslands. would greatly benefit from a co- IGBP-GCTE international © N. Buchmann ordinated effort to stimulate ex- programmes. The programme will be changes of ideas, of new theoretical centred on the three main scientific insights, of new experimental themes: systems, and of researchers among 1. Species diversity and ecosystem European countries. processes; 2. Ecology and evolution of indirect effects in ecosystems; The ESF programme 3. Biological invasions and ecosystem processes. The present programme aims at 1. Species diversity and ecosystem unifying the perspectives of commu- processes nity and ecosystems ecology. This is Until recently little attention has an important scientific challenge, been given to the ecological conse- both to improve our fundamental quences of the losses of biodiversity. understanding of natural and man- Most concerns over biodiversity aged ecosystems and to provide losses have focused on the important appropriate answers to more applied ethical and aesthetic dimensions of questions such as the impacts of biotic impoverishment or on the biodiversity loss or species invasions losses of potentially economically on ecosystem sustainability. The goal valuable crops or drugs. There is now of the programme is to promote the growing recognition, however, that development and integration of ecosystems operate in a manner that research linking community and provides free ecological services to ecosystem ecology across Europe. humans. These services are derived The programme will strengthen from the normal functioning of interactions among groups from ecosystems, raising the important different countries and different question whether depauperate scientific traditions, stimulate the ecosystems perform differently or development of ideas, support the less efficiently than the more species- initiation of collaborative research rich systems from which they are projects, facilitate the exchange of derived. 3 cycling, thus affecting ecosystem functioning. This part of LINKECOL has the following aims: . To synthesise current experimental and theoretical advances in the area of the effect of biodiversity on the magnitude and stability of ecosystem processes. . To develop innovative approaches in this area. . To contribute to an understanding of the mechanistic basis of the response – or lack of response – of ecosystem processes to species diversity. The loss of plant Several hypotheses have been pro- species diversity posed on this topic, ranging from one . To investigate the functional reduces primary extreme stating that all species are properties, at the aggregated ecosys- production in unique in their contribution to tem level, of mechanistic theories of European interspecific competition and coex- grasslands ecosystem performance to the other istence based on resource consump- (Hector et al., extreme stating that most species in a Science functional group are redundant in tion, space occupancy or response to 286:1123- their ecosystem impact. Another disturbances. 1127, 1999). possibility is the “insurance hypoth- . To investigate, both theoretically esis” : High species richness may not and experimentally, the interplay always play a significant role in between ecosystem processes and maintaining ecosystem processes community assembly. under constant or benign environ- mental conditions, but it may . To examine how environmental nevertheless be important for main- changes interact with changes in taining their stability under chang- biological diversity in determining ing environmental conditions. ecosystem processes. Global or more local environmental 2. Ecology and evolution of indirect changes such as increased atmo- effects in ecosystems spheric CO concentration or N Interactions between organisms and 2 between organisms and their abiotic deposition are likely to interact with environment are not only direct, but changes in biodiversity and ecosys- they also have a great number of tem processes. These environmental indirect effects on other organisms changes may have profound effects and processes. Some of these indirect on ecosystem processes such as effects have a considerable impact on productivity, soil acidification and the functioning of ecosystems. Well- nutrient mineralisation, which affect known examples are keystone preda- the competitive balance between tion, indirect mutualisms between plant species and result in changes in plants and predators, or indirect species diversity and composition. facilitation by ecosystem engineers. These changes in species diversity and composition in turn may have important impacts on soil organic matter dynamics and nutrient 4
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