Jarrett Byrnes assistant professor, UMass Boston

BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION
predator diversity and trophic cascades diversity-function feedbacks invasive species diversity


Overview

The diversity of species around the globe is declining. What will this mean for the way ecosystems function? Will they produce the same amount of plant and animal biomass? Will their ability to sequester carbon, recycle nutrients, filter water, and decompose the dead all remain the same? Can fewer species get the job done, or will something unexpected happen? We do not know the answers to these questions, and yet, as more and more species go extinct, their answers are of vital importance.