Nature Reviews Biodiversity 2: 9–23, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00112-2
Involved members of MultiTroph: Xiaojuan Liu, Andreas Schuldt
Summary: This review synthesizes three decades of forest biodiversity experiments to evaluate how tree diversity influences ecosystem functioning, particularly forest productivity and stability. Experimental evidence consistently shows that increasing tree species diversity enhances multiple ecosystem functions through mechanisms such as resource partitioning, facilitation, and species interactions, with effects often strengthening as forests mature. The review highlights that biodiversity effects are context-dependent and frequently mediated by interactions across trophic levels, including herbivores, predators, and parasitoids. By integrating insights from experiments and observational studies, the authors demonstrate how causal biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships can inform global forest restoration and management efforts.
Conclusion: Forest biodiversity experiments provide strong causal evidence that maintaining and restoring high tree diversity is essential for sustaining ecosystem functions and services under global change. Future research and management should combine experimental and observational approaches, incorporate multitrophic and global change drivers, and directly inform forest restoration strategies aligned with international biodiversity targets.