Understanding biodiversity – ecosystem service linkages in real landscapes

The article examines the impact of human-driven biodiversity loss and its consequences for ecosystem functions and services, emphasizing its role in the global polycrisis. It highlights the need for large-scale, real-world studies to understand biodiversity-ecosystem service linkages beyond small-scale experiments. In response to these research needs, the authors introduce a Topical Collection comprising 13 studies across diverse terrestrial and aquatic systems, including a portfolio of provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services that are directly or indirectly influenced by biodiversity changes.