Research Ideas and Outcomes 12: e181743, https://doi.org/10.3897/rio.12.e181743
Involved members of MultiTroph: Alexandra-Maria Klein, Helge Bruelheide, Douglas Chesters, Tim Diekötter, Alexandra Erfmeier, Heike Feldhaar, Felix Fornoff, Christina Grozinger, Nina Kranke, Yu Liang, Xiaojuan Liu, Arong Luo, Yvonne Oelmann, Michael Orr, Jana S. Petermann, Huijie Qiao, Finn Rehling, Manuela Sann, Thomas Scholten, Andreas Schuldt, Steffen Seitz, Michael Staab, Simon Thorn, Ming-Qiang Wang, Zhi-Shu Xiao, Naili Zhang, Chao-Dong Zhu
Summary: Traditional biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research has shown that diverse plant communities boost productivity, carbon sequestration, and stability, but the role of higher trophic levels in these effects is still poorly understood. To address this, MultiTroph uses the BEF-China experimental platform, the world’s largest forest biodiversity experiment, to quantify species interactions across trophic levels and integrate them into food webs. It is expected that analysing trophic interaction networks will reveal how ecological niches overlap in species-rich vs. species-poor forests and help explain when and why ecosystem functions change or destabilize with species loss.
Conclusion: The article outlines MultiTroph’s conceptual framework and research goals, presenting a holistic approach to BEF research by explicitly incorporating higher trophic levels and their interactions.