Plant diversity-mediated effects of aridity and land-use on
ecosystem functioning
Results of SEM showed that aridity and grazing had strong interactive
negative effects on species richness, which led to negative effects on
plant aboveground biomass and SOC (Fig. 4). Aridity directly decreased
aboveground biomass and SOC, and haying directly decreased aboveground
biomass, while grazing had direct negative and indirect positive effects
(through increasing species richness) on aboveground biomass and SOC.
Plant species richness had greater effects on SOC than on aboveground
biomass.