"Correlation Between Species Diversity and Productivity in Eastern US Forests"

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that the simplest measure of diversity, specifically counting all species in a given area, is the best way to assess the productivity of eastern U.S. forests. Researchers analyzed two decades of tree data and found that a greater number of tree species consistently resulted in a more productive forest, while other measures of diversity such as relatedness and functional differences showed negative correlations with productivity. This finding provides a straightforward roadmap for conservation efforts, emphasizing the importance of species richness in assessing forest health and productivity.