Biotic and abiotic drivers of temporal stability in herbaceous wetlands in China

Maintaining the stability of ecosystems is critical for ensuring the provision of essential ecosystem services over time. However, our understanding of the contribution of the diverse biotic and abiotic factors to this stability, particularly in wetlands, remains limited. Here, we combined data from field vegetation survey at 725 herbaceous wetland sites in China with remote sensing information from the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) from 2010 to 2020 to explore the contribution of biotic and abiotic factors to the temporal stability of primary productivity. We found that plant species richness directly contributed to stability on a national scale, but that this contribution differed among climate zones, hydrological regimes, and vegetation types. Additionally, many abiotic factors including soil properties, geographical location, and climatic conditions also contributed to stability. Notably, soil properties including soil pH, total nitrogen,and soil organic carbon emerged as primary factors modulating ecosystem stability, both directly and indirectly by affecting species richness and vegetation type. These findings enhance our ability to forecast how wetland ecosystems may respond to future environmental changes and biodiversity loss and underscore the importance of implementing adaptive policies aimed at preserving ecosystem stability.