Dryness weakens the positive effects of plant and fungal β diversities on above- and belowground biomass

Plant and microbial diversity are key to determine ecosystem functioning. Despite the well-known role of local-scale α diversity in affecting vegetation productivity, it still remains unclear about the effects of community heterogeneity (β diversity) of plants and soil microbes on above- and belowground productivity (AGB and BGB) across contrasting environments. Here, we conducted a dryness-gradient transect survey over 3000 km across grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau. We found that plant β diversity was more dominant than α diversity in stimulating AGB, while soil fungal β diversity was the key driver in enhancing BGB. However, these positive effects of plant and microbial β diversity on AGB and BGB were strongly weakened by increasing climatic dryness, mainly because higher soil available phosphorus caused by increasing dryness reduced both plant and soil fungal β diversities. Overall, these new findings highlight the critical role of above- and belowground β diversity in sustaining grassland productivity, raising our awareness to the ecological risks of large-scale biotic homogenization under future climate change.