Plant Diversity Boosts Productivity by 15% Globally

Did you know? Mixing plant species boosts productivity by an average of 15.2% compared to single-species plots, according to a meta-analysis of 452 experiments worldwide.

When researchers analyzed 452 plant diversity experiments across grasslands, forests, and croplands, they found that ecosystems with mixed species (averaging 2.6 species) produced 15.2% more biomass than monocultures. The benefit comes from two mechanisms: complementarity effects (where species use different resources or help each other, contributing 65.6% of the benefit) and selection effects (where the most productive species dominate, contributing 34.4%). Interestingly, complementarity effects grew stronger over time while selection effects weakened. Grasslands and forests showed the strongest benefits, while croplands and aquatic systems showed weaker effects. Species with different nitrogen strategies and varied leaf chemistry worked particularly well together, suggesting nature’s mix-and-match approach helps ecosystems thrive.

Source: PMID 39779865 (Nature, 2025)