Linking marine biodiversity to ecosystem functions and services

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is the variation of life at all levels of organization, from the level of genetic variation within and among species to the level of variation within and among communities, ecosystems and biomes. It is well-documented how human impacts are changing biodiversity in terrestrial (Wilson 1999) and marine ecosystems (NRC 1995). Historical studies in marine systems have further shown that long-term impacts often lead to the simplification of food webs, as species and species groups are driven to such low abundances that they become functionally extinct (Jackson et al. 2001, Lotze and Milewski 2002). The general consequences of these trends and changes for ecosystem functions, such as primary and secondary productivity, carbon and nutrient cycling, food and habitat provision are little understood in marine systems. The recent research focus on biodiversity, however, has generated a significant, albeit diffuse body of theory and empirical studies. Without synthesis, it is difficult to communicate to the public and to environmental managers why marine biodiversity matters, what the ecological and economic consequences of species loss and changes in biodiversity are, and how dramatic consequences can be prevented. The proposed working group aims to fill this gap. In addition to quantifying the link between marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, we will analyze the potential for the disruption of marine ecosystem services, which are those functions that are vital to our food supply, economies, and human health (see Fig. 1). Finally, we will use the results from our analyses to evaluate the costs and benefits of maintaining the status quo versus implementing significant global conservation measures. In three consecutive workshops we will (1) collate experimental and observational evidence on how marine biodiversity and ecosystem functions are linked in a web-accessible database, (2) conduct and publish a series of meta-analyses to derive generalizations about the effects of species loss, ecological simplification and changes in marine biodiversity on ecosystem functions and services, (3) write a policy paper that translates our results into management strategies.