Data and R code from: Multiple anthropogenic pressures eliminate the effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functions

Biodiversity contributes to maintaining ecosystem functions when faced with anthropogenic pressures. However, ecosystems are now exposed to a rapidly growing number of such pressures, and it remains unknown whether biodiversity can still sustain ecosystem functioning under anthropogenic pressures. Here we investigated the effects of soil biodiversity on soil functions and properties when faced with an increasing number of simultaneous global change factors (GCFs). Higher soil biodiversity had a positive effect on soil functions and properties when zero and only a few (e.g., 1 – 4) GCFs were applied, but this positive effect was eliminated by the co-occurrence ofnumerous GCFs. This was attributable to the reduction of soil fungal abundance and the relative abundance of a bacterial cluster. These results suggest that biodiversity can contribute to ecosystem functions only when a few GCFs are active, but that this will be jeopardized by the presence of multiple GCFs. Our study indicates that reducing the number of anthropogenic pressures should be a goal in ecosystem management, in addition to biodiversity conservation.