Citation. Tilman, D. 1999. Diversity and production in European grasslands. Science 286:1099-1100.   [1763  LTER]

Introduction. The hypothesis that biodiversity influences the productivity (that is, the rate of biomass production; and stability of ecosystems has recently resurfaced, but it remains contentious. It is unclear whether the purported effect of species diversity on ecosystem productivity is actually the hidden signature of a few important species or whether it implies that species composition is less important than previously thought.