Biodiversity is essential to healthy ecosystems, but a new U-M study finds it plays an especially important role in wetter environments, including some of Michigan’s forests. Greater diversity of plant and animal species enhances ecosystem function and stability, boosting resilience to threats like climate change. In this research spotlight from Michigan News, Peter Reich, director of U-M’s Institute for Global Change Biology, explains why fostering high neighborhood diversity should be a priority in forest management.
