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Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

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Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands. / Spohn, Marie; Bagchi, Sumanta; Bakker, Jonathan D. et al.
In: Communications Biology, Vol. 8, No. 1, 97, 21.01.2025.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Spohn, M, Bagchi, S, Bakker, JD, Borer, ET, Carbutt, C, Catford, JA, Dickman, CR, Eisenhauer, N, Eskelinen, A, Hagenah, N, Hautier, Y, Koerner, SE, Komatsu, KJ, Laanisto, L, Lekberg, Y, Martina, JP, Martinson, H, Pärtel, M, Peri, PL, Risch, AC, Smith, NG, Stevens, C, Veen, GFC, Virtanen, R, Yahdjian, L, Young, AL, Young, HS & Seabloom, EW 2025, 'Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands', Communications Biology, vol. 8, no. 1, 97. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07518-w

APA

Spohn, M., Bagchi, S., Bakker, J. D., Borer, E. T., Carbutt, C., Catford, J. A., Dickman, C. R., Eisenhauer, N., Eskelinen, A., Hagenah, N., Hautier, Y., Koerner, S. E., Komatsu, K. J., Laanisto, L., Lekberg, Y., Martina, J. P., Martinson, H., Pärtel, M., Peri, P. L., ... Seabloom, E. W. (2025). Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands. Communications Biology, 8(1), Article 97. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07518-w

Vancouver

Spohn M, Bagchi S, Bakker JD, Borer ET, Carbutt C, Catford JA et al. Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands. Communications Biology. 2025 Jan 21;8(1):97. doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-07518-w

Author

Spohn, Marie ; Bagchi, Sumanta ; Bakker, Jonathan D. et al. / Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands. In: Communications Biology. 2025 ; Vol. 8, No. 1.

Bibtex

@article{f5462bda1a9f4186955660f45063b029,
title = "Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands",
abstract = "Grasslands cover approximately a third of the Earth{\textquoteright}s land surface and account for about a third of terrestrial carbon storage. Yet, we lack strong predictive models of grassland plant biomass, the primary source of carbon in grasslands. This lack of predictive ability may arise from the assumption of linear relationships between plant biomass and the environment and an underestimation of interactions of environmental variables. Using data from 116 grasslands on six continents, we show unimodal relationships between plant biomass and ecosystem characteristics, such as mean annual precipitation and soil nitrogen. Further, we found that soil nitrogen and plant diversity interacted in their relationships with plant biomass, such that plant diversity and biomass were positively related at low levels of nitrogen and negatively at elevated levels of nitrogen. Our results show that it is critical to account for the interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass and several environmental variables to accurately include plant biomass in global vegetation and carbon models.",
author = "Marie Spohn and Sumanta Bagchi and Bakker, {Jonathan D.} and Borer, {Elizabeth T.} and Clinton Carbutt and Catford, {Jane A.} and Dickman, {Christopher R.} and Nico Eisenhauer and Anu Eskelinen and Nicole Hagenah and Yann Hautier and Koerner, {Sally E.} and Komatsu, {Kimberly J.} and Lauri Laanisto and Ylva Lekberg and Martina, {Jason P.} and Holly Martinson and Meelis P{\"a}rtel and Peri, {Pablo L.} and Risch, {Anita C.} and Smith, {Nicholas G.} and Carly Stevens and Veen, {G. F. Ciska} and Risto Virtanen and Laura Yahdjian and Young, {Alyssa L.} and Young, {Hillary S.} and Seabloom, {Eric W.}",
year = "2025",
month = jan,
day = "21",
doi = "10.1038/s42003-025-07518-w",
language = "English",
volume = "8",
journal = "Communications Biology",
issn = "2399-3642",
publisher = "Nature Research",
number = "1",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass, abiotic factors, and plant diversity in global grasslands

AU - Spohn, Marie

AU - Bagchi, Sumanta

AU - Bakker, Jonathan D.

AU - Borer, Elizabeth T.

AU - Carbutt, Clinton

AU - Catford, Jane A.

AU - Dickman, Christopher R.

AU - Eisenhauer, Nico

AU - Eskelinen, Anu

AU - Hagenah, Nicole

AU - Hautier, Yann

AU - Koerner, Sally E.

AU - Komatsu, Kimberly J.

AU - Laanisto, Lauri

AU - Lekberg, Ylva

AU - Martina, Jason P.

AU - Martinson, Holly

AU - Pärtel, Meelis

AU - Peri, Pablo L.

AU - Risch, Anita C.

AU - Smith, Nicholas G.

AU - Stevens, Carly

AU - Veen, G. F. Ciska

AU - Virtanen, Risto

AU - Yahdjian, Laura

AU - Young, Alyssa L.

AU - Young, Hillary S.

AU - Seabloom, Eric W.

PY - 2025/1/21

Y1 - 2025/1/21

N2 - Grasslands cover approximately a third of the Earth’s land surface and account for about a third of terrestrial carbon storage. Yet, we lack strong predictive models of grassland plant biomass, the primary source of carbon in grasslands. This lack of predictive ability may arise from the assumption of linear relationships between plant biomass and the environment and an underestimation of interactions of environmental variables. Using data from 116 grasslands on six continents, we show unimodal relationships between plant biomass and ecosystem characteristics, such as mean annual precipitation and soil nitrogen. Further, we found that soil nitrogen and plant diversity interacted in their relationships with plant biomass, such that plant diversity and biomass were positively related at low levels of nitrogen and negatively at elevated levels of nitrogen. Our results show that it is critical to account for the interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass and several environmental variables to accurately include plant biomass in global vegetation and carbon models.

AB - Grasslands cover approximately a third of the Earth’s land surface and account for about a third of terrestrial carbon storage. Yet, we lack strong predictive models of grassland plant biomass, the primary source of carbon in grasslands. This lack of predictive ability may arise from the assumption of linear relationships between plant biomass and the environment and an underestimation of interactions of environmental variables. Using data from 116 grasslands on six continents, we show unimodal relationships between plant biomass and ecosystem characteristics, such as mean annual precipitation and soil nitrogen. Further, we found that soil nitrogen and plant diversity interacted in their relationships with plant biomass, such that plant diversity and biomass were positively related at low levels of nitrogen and negatively at elevated levels of nitrogen. Our results show that it is critical to account for the interactive and unimodal relationships between plant biomass and several environmental variables to accurately include plant biomass in global vegetation and carbon models.

U2 - 10.1038/s42003-025-07518-w

DO - 10.1038/s42003-025-07518-w

M3 - Journal article

VL - 8

JO - Communications Biology

JF - Communications Biology

SN - 2399-3642

IS - 1

M1 - 97

ER -