Bouhedma National Park in Tunisia, one of the 123 sites sampled across the world for this study
An international research team that included INRA and CNRS scientists has revealed the key role played by rare plant species in maintaining ecosystem "multifunctionality": both species and evolutionary diversity is important. This work was recently been published in PNAS . Based on data from 123 sampling sites around the world, the results show that taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic biodiversity matters for ecosystem functioning. The findings also underscore that it is essential to protect rare species to ensure the proper functioning of ecosystems. Ecosystems furnish multiple functions at the same time, an attribute that is referred to as multifunctionality. Such functions may include the transformation, recycling, or storage of nutrients and/or organic matter. Maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality is a significant environmental, economic, and societal challenge given global climate change and the biodiversity crisis.
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