Plant diversity’s positive effect on soil respiration diminishes with increasing productivity in global forests

Nature Communications 2026 Open access

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Authors: Benjamin Laffitte, Zhihan Yang, Jinshi Jian, P. Ciais, Lei Chen, Yunfeng Yang, Xinli Chen, Ni Huang, Tao Zhou, Xiangjun Pei, Xiaolu Tang
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-69594-8
Cited by: 2
References: 80

Abstract

), but this effect diminishes in high-productivity forests. By stratifying forests along a net primary production gradient and controlling for climatic, soil, and vegetation covariates via structural equation modeling, we reveal a context-dependent role of biodiversity. Greater plant species richness amplifies soil respiration in resource-limited systems but contributes minimally in high-productivity forests, where abiotic factors exert stronger influence. Our findings provide insights into how biodiversity influences soil carbon fluxes, revealing its dynamic role in shaping ecosystem carbon dynamics across productivity gradients.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics

Publication details

Journal / source
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Volume
17
Issue
1
Publication date
21 February 2026
Language
EN