Resource limitation of compensatory responses in ecosystem processes after biodiversity loss

Biodiversity loss may result in a decline in important ecosystem processes. The effect of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning is determined by the functional contribution of the species lost and the compensatory responses of the remaining species. It is unknown to what extent the strength of the compensatory response of the remaining species depends on resource availability. Here we evaluate how the primary production of an assemblage of salt marsh plants responds to a realistic sequence of species loss in a 7-year experiment, with and without the addition of fertiliser. We found near-full compensation of progressive species loss in gross community primary production by the extinction-resistant species with fertiliser as long as one species (Triglochin maritima) remained. Without fertiliser, at least 4 species, including the particularly abundant species Plantago maritima, were needed to maintain gross community primary production. These results suggest that the magnitude of the ..., We evaluate how the primary production of an assemblage of salt marsh plants responds to a realistic sequence of species loss in a 7-year experiment, with and without the addition of fertiliser.
Following a previous study by Davies et al. (2012) on algal impact in salt marshes, this paper investigates how plant communities respond to the gradual loss of species caused by increasing fucoid algae deposits. Ninety 1-m2 experimental plots spaced ~ 3 m apart were established in an area of transitional low salt marsh in the Cefni estuary, Anglesey, Wales, UK (53°10′12″ N: 4°23′39″ W). In June 2009, the undisturbed assemblage of salt marsh plants was manipulated. A central 40 x 40 cm area of each of 32 plots was randomly allocated to a stage in the extirpation sequence of species in response to increased volumes of fucoid algae deposited on the marsh surface (see Davies et al., 2012). Species were removed on a species-by-species basis following the derived extirpation sequence (Salicornia ramo..., , # **Resource limitation of compensatory responses in ecosystem processes after biodiversity loss**

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.12jm63z6j](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.12jm63z6j)

We evaluate how the primary production of an assemblage of salt marsh plants responds to a realistic sequence of species loss in a 7-year experiment, with and without the addition of fertiliser. The cover per plant species and the primary production were quantified in most years, and photos were taken of the plots in each year. We quantified the biomass at the end of the experiment.

**Description of the data and file structure**

The file **Treatments.csv** specifies what species richness and fertiliser treatment was allocated to each plot number. The column *Treat* indicates the treatment level, which defines the species richness treatment *SR*. ‘Control’ means that the species richness was not manipulated. For the other treatments, species were removed on a species-by-species basis following the derived...