From resource-rich to resource-poor grasslands: A shift in β-diversity assembly mechanisms from biotic control to abiotic dominance

This research is situated within the established paradigm of community ecology and biogeography. It specifically draws upon the theoretical frameworks of niche-based community assembly, environmental filtering, and trait-based ecology. The study uses the species-area relationship (SAR) as a core methodological tool to investigate β-diversity, treating the mechanisms that shape biodiversity patterns as a puzzle to be solved within these existing conceptual boundaries.

This preprint is a clear example of Normal Science. It does not propose a new theory but instead works to refine and extend the current ecological paradigm. By investigating the drivers of β-diversity across a resource gradient, the authors engage in a classic puzzle-solving activity. They use established methods and concepts—such as functional traits, environmental filtering, and niche differentiation—to explain observed patterns. The finding of a shift from biotic to abiotic control does not create a crisis but rather adds a layer of context-dependent sophistication, reinforcing the paradigm's ability to explain complex ecological phenomena.