Water depth modulates the species richness-biomass relationship in submerged macrophytes

The effect of biodiversity on ecosystem productivity has been a controversial issue in ecological research. The species richness-productivity relationship is highly variable in natural ecosystems, with a positive relationship being one of the most commonly observed relationships. Previous regional studies from terrestrial ecosystems have demonstrated that environmental gradients can regulate the species richness-productivity relationship. However, how this relationship varies in freshwater ecosystems across spatial environment gradients remains unclear. In this study, we propose that the species richness-productivity relationship can be modulated by the water depth. Here, we surveyed the submerged macrophyte community structure by establishing 24 transects and 642 quadrats in Erhai Lake, Yunnan Plateau, China. Our findings highlight that the species richness-productivity relationship gradually changed from slightly positive to strongly positive as the environment became more light-limited with the increasing water depth, supporting the stress-gradient hypothesis. The results from this study provide new insights into the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships and in managing lake macrophyte communities and productivity.

Automated summary

In this study, the researchers investigated the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem productivity in Erhai Lake, China. They found that the species richness-productivity relationship was influenced by water depth, with a stronger positive relationship observed in more light-limited environments. These findings support the stress-gradient hypothesis and provide new insights into managing lake macrophyte communities and productivity.