Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Temple, Texas » Grassland Soil and Water Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279094
Title: Response to comments on "Productivity is a poor predictor of plant species richness"

Author
item GRACE, JAMES - Us Geological Survey (USGS)
item ADLER, PETER - Utah State University
item SEABLOOM, ERIC - University Of Minnesota
item BORER, ELIZABETH - University Of Minnesota
item HILLEBRAND, HELMUT - Carl von Ossietzky University Of Oldenburg
item HAUTIER, YANN - University Of Zurich
item HECTOR, ANDY - University Of Zurich
item HARPOLE, W. - Iowa State University
item O'HALLORAN, LYDIA - Oregon State University
item ANDERSON, T. - Wake Forest University
item BAKKER, JONATHAN - University Of Washington
item BROWN, CYNTHIA - Colorado State University
item BUCKLEY, YVONNE - University Of Queensland
item COLLINS, SCOTT - University Of New Mexico
item COTTINGHAM, KATHRYN - Dartmouth College
item CRAWLEY, MICHAEL - Imperial College
item DAMSCHEN, ELLEN - University Of Wisconsin
item DAVIES, KENDI - University Of Colorado
item DECRAPPEO, NICOLE - Us Geological Survey (USGS)
item Fay, Philip
item FIRN, JENNIFER - Queensland University Of Technology
item GRUNER, DANIEL - University Of Maryland
item HAGENAH, NICOLE - University Of Kwazulu-Natal
item Jin, Virginia
item KIRKMAN, KEVIN - University Of Kwazulu-Natal
item KNOPS, JOHANNES - University Of Nebraska
item LA PIERRE, KIMBERLY - University Of Kwazulu-Natal
item LAMBRINOS, JOHN - Oregon State University
item MELBOURNE, BRETT - University Of Colorado
item MITCHELL, CHARLES - University Of North Carolina
item MOORE, JOSLIN - University Of Melbourne
item MORGAN, JOHN - La Trobe University
item ORROCK, JOHN - University Of Wisconsin
item PROBER, SUZANNE - Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
item STEVENS, CARLY - The Open University
item WRAGG, PETER - University Of Minnesota
item YANG, LOUIE - Dominican University Of California

Submitted to: Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2012
Publication Date: 3/23/2012
Citation: Grace, J.B., Adler, P.B., Seabloom, E.W., Borer, E.T., Hillebrand, H., Hautier, Y., Hector, A., Harpole, W.S., O'Halloran, L.R., Anderson, T.M., Bakker, J.D., Brown, C.S., Buckley, Y.M., Collins, S.L., Cottingham, K.L., Crawley, M.J., Damschen, E.I., Davies, K.F., Decrappeo, N.M., Fay, P.A., Firn, J., Gruner, D.S., Hagenah, N., Jin, V.L., Kirkman, K.P., Knops, J.M., La Pierre, K.J., Lambrinos, J.G., Melbourne, B.A., Mitchell, C.E., Moore, J.L., Morgan, J.W., Orrock, J.L., Prober, S.M., Stevens, C.J., Wragg, P.D., Yang, L.H. 2012. Response to comments on "Productivity is a poor predictor of plant species richness". Science. 335:1441-c.

Interpretive Summary: This Technical Comment responds to criticisms leveled at Adler et al. (Science 333:1750, 2011), which found that primary productivity of plant communities was not well predicted by the number of species present in the community. This results stands in contrast to the widely held view that primary productivity is positively correlated with species richness. The criticisms leveled at the Adler paper by two different authors were 1) it actual supports a linear positive relationship between productivity and richness, and 2) the Adler finds support the presence of a peaked relationship between productivity and richness. We rebutted these criticisms through review of original findings and site selection criteria and through additional analysis showing that the data conform to expectations of a random distribution, and not one that would be expected if positive or humped relationships of richness and productivity were present.

Technical Abstract: Pan et al. claim that the results by Adler et al. (Reports, 23 Sept 2011, p. 1750) actually support a strong linear positive relationship between productivity and richness, while Fridley et al. contend that the data support a strong humped relationship. These responses illustrate how the preoccupation with bivariate patterns distracts from a deeper understanding of the multivariate mechanisms that control these important ecosystem properties.