Abstract
The development of non-linear dynamics showed that simple processes can lead to high complexity in the functioning of nature, and recent studies show that non-linear dynamics are common across populations of different taxa. However, whether the energy and matter fluxes of entire ecosystems follow non-linear dynamics, and how complex these dynamics are, is still unknown. We investigated the drivers of- and trends in the temporal complexity of ecosystem functioning by calculating the correlation dimension of gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration (Re), and net ecosystem production (NEP). We used long-term, eddy-covariance C fluxes from 57 terrestrial ecosystems, including boreal, temperate, and Mediterranean biomes. Ecosystems with higher temporal complexity generally exhibited lower interannual variability and seasonality. Causal analyses indicated that larger C fluxes generally cause higher temporal complexity, and larger and temporally complex C fluxes reduce interannual variability, suggesting higher resistance to perturbations. We found a positive trend in GPP complexity over time, which correlates with increasing GPP. This result may indicate that ecosystems are increasingly responsive to endogenous or exogenous stimuli, but the biology underlying these trends is not yet understood. We show that the temporal complexity of ecosystem functioning can elucidate ecosystem properties otherwise missed by longer timescales.
Marcos Fernández Martínez
Researcher - PI of the EDM research team
My research interests include global biogeochemical cycles, the role of nutrients on ecosystem functioning, forests and bryophytes
Filipe Manuel Andrade de Matos
PhD student
PhD student supervised by Drs. Marcos Fernández-Martínez and Roberto Molowny
Eladio Rodríguez Penedo
PhD student
PhD student supervised by Drs. Marcos Fernández-Martínez, Roger Grau i Francesc Sabater