Slippin’ and slidin’ between the scales: the scaling components of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relations

Abstract

Abstract Whilst the problems of scale are well-known to most ecologists, many subdisciplines of ecology are still struggling with its central concepts-how the dimensions of space and time, and levels of organization, influence ecological patterns and processes (e.g. Peterson and Parker 1998; O’Neill and King 1998; Petersen and Hastings 2001; Schneider 2001). Individual ecologists may, at their own peril, ignore the problem and focus on one scale and one level of organization only. However, the synthesis of many individual studies con ducted at different scales requires a better under standing of the influence of scale on ecological processes. This is particularly evident in the study of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Although studying at least two levels-community and ecosystem-most research has been performed at small spatial and short temporal scales (Loreau et al. 2001; Naeem 2001), and it is not clear if such studies can be used to inform the public and policymakers about the large-scale consequences of biodiversity loss.