In parallel with previous plant results, however, grazer diversity enhanced grazer biomass production, an important determinant of fish yield in aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, ecosystem responses at high grazer diversity often differed considerably from those predicted by summing impacts of individual species. Thus, complex interactions, often opposing plant diversity effects, arose as emergent consequences of changing consumer diversity, advising caution in extrapolating conclusions from plant diversity experiments to more complete food webs.
Ecology Letters