@article{BauerVosKlauschiesetal.2014,
  author    = {Bauer, Barbara and Vos, Matthijs and Klauschies, Toni and Gaedke, Ursula},
  title     = {Diversity, functional similarity, and top-down control drive synchronization and the reliability of ecosystem function},
  series = {The American naturalist : a bi-monthly journal devoted to the advancement and correlation of the biological sciences},
  volume    = {183},
  journal   = {The American naturalist : a bi-monthly journal devoted to the advancement and correlation of the biological sciences},
  number    = {3},
  publisher = {Univ. of Chicago Press},
  address   = {Chicago},
  issn      = {0003-0147},
  doi       = {10.1086/674906},
  pages     = {394 -- 409},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {The concept that diversity promotes reliability of ecosystem function depends on the pattern that community-level biomass shows lower temporal variability than species-level biomasses. However, this pattern is not universal, as it relies on compensatory or independent species dynamics. When in contrast within--trophic level synchronization occurs, variability of community biomass will approach population-level variability. Current knowledge fails to integrate how species richness, functional distance between species, and the relative importance of predation and competition combine to drive synchronization at different trophic levels. Here we clarify these mechanisms. Intense competition promotes compensatory dynamics in prey, but predators may at the same time increasingly synchronize, under increasing species richness and functional similarity. In contrast, predators and prey both show perfect synchronization under strong top-down control, which is promoted by a combination of low functional distance and high net growth potential of predators. Under such conditions, community-level biomass variability peaks, with major negative consequences for reliability of ecosystem function.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{RottstockJoshiKummeretal.2014,
  author    = {Rottstock, Tanja and Joshi, Jasmin Radha and Kummer, Volker and Fischer, Markus},
  title     = {Higher plant diversity promotes higher diversity of fungal pathogens, while it decreases pathogen infection per plant},
  series = {Ecology : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
  volume    = {95},
  journal   = {Ecology : a publication of the Ecological Society of America},
  number    = {7},
  publisher = {Wiley},
  address   = {Washington},
  issn      = {0012-9658},
  pages     = {1907 -- 1917},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {Fungal plant pathogens are common in natural communities where they affect plant physiology, plant survival, and biomass production. Conversely, pathogen transmission and infection may be regulated by plant community characteristics such as plant species diversity and functional composition that favor pathogen diversity through increases in host diversity while simultaneously reducing pathogen infection via increased variability in host density and spatial heterogeneity. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of multi-host multi-pathogen interactions is of high significance in the context of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning. We investigated the relationship between plant diversity and aboveground obligate parasitic fungal pathogen ("pathogens" hereafter) diversity and infection in grasslands of a long-term, large-scale, biodiversity experiment with varying plant species (1-60 species) and plant functional group diversity (1-4 groups). To estimate pathogen infection of the plant communities, we visually assessed pathogen-group presence (i.e., rusts, powdery mildews, downy mildews, smuts, and leaf-spot diseases) and overall infection levels (combining incidence and severity of each pathogen group) in 82 experimental plots on all aboveground organs of all plant species per plot during four surveys in 2006. Pathogen diversity, assessed as the cumulative number of pathogen groups on all plant species per plot, increased log-linearly with plant species diversity. However, pathogen incidence and severity, and hence overall infection, decreased with increasing plant species diversity. In addition, co-infection of plant individuals by two or more pathogen groups was less likely with increasing plant community diversity. We conclude that plant community diversity promotes pathogen-community diversity while at the same time reducing pathogen infection levels of plant individuals.},
  language  = {en}
}