Links between plant diversity and population stability
Posted 29 Jan 2026
By James McCarthy
Type: News
Status: Confirmed
Notes: The study investigates how different ways of measuring plant diversity and population stability affect conclusions about ecosystem dynamics. Using data from more than 8,000 permanent vegetation plots worldwide, including from NVS, the authors show that plant diversity can destabilise populations (especially dominant species) when long‑term species turnover and abundance‑weighted stability metrics are used. These results highlight how the choice of ecological metrics influences our understanding of biodiversity’s role in ecosystem stability.
Pan X, Hautier Y, Lepš J, Wang S, Barry KE, Bazzichetto M, Chelli S, Doležal J, Eisenhauer N, Essl F, et al. 2026. Reconciling links between diversity and population stability across global plant communities. New Phytologist, in press.
Click here to view the paper.
