Research advances in relationships among biodiversity, multifunctionality and ecosystem stability in forests

In the context of global climate change and biodiversity loss, understanding the relationship between biodiversity and the stability of forest ecosystems is crucial in maintaining ecological balance and ecosystem services and functions. Most studies have mainly focused on single function or stability indicators, making it difficult to comprehensively reveal the complex mechanisms of ecosystem dynamics. Biological diversity enhances multifunctionality mainly through mechanisms such as functional redundancy and asynchronous responding to environmental fluctuations, thereby increasing the resistance and resilience of ecosystems to disturbances. However, this relationship of biodiversity-stability is influenced by multiple interacting factors, and its underlying mechanisms remain controversial and unclear. This study systematically examines a “biodiversity-stability-multifunctionality” collaborative framework, with forest ecosystem stability as the critical nexus. The mechanisms between biodiversity and stability are complementary effects, selective pressures, positive feedback mechanisms, and negative feedback. Multifunctional systems enhance ecosystem stability through functional redundancy, diversity, synergy, trade-offs, spatial heterogeneity, and temporal dynamics. The relationships among biodiversity, multifunctionality, and ecosystem stability are manifested through key mechanisms such as aboveground-underground interactions and multi-trophic-level networks. Increasing biodiversity and multifunctionality to improve ecosystem stability holds significant theoretical and practical values for promoting ecosystem conservation, restoration, and sustainable development in response to climate change and other factors in the future.