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Computational Ecology and Software, 2027, 17(2): 69-94
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Article

How biodiversity determines ecosystem stability at large scales? Multiscale diversity-stability cascade and the β diversity insurance hypothesis

WenJun Zhang
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China

Received 26 August 2026;Accepted 8 September 2026;Published online 15 September 2026;Published 1 June 2027
IAEES

Abstract
The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem stability has been studied intensively at local scales, but its extension to large spatial scales remains unresolved. This study develops a unified theoretical framework, the Multiscale Diversity-Stability Cascade (MDSC), to explain how biodiversity determines ecosystem stability across local, regional, and macroecological scales. The MDSC posits that large-scale stability is not the simple sum of local stabilities but emerges from a nonlinear cascade involving local α stability, spatial β asynchrony, and regional γ functional redundancy. β diversity acts as the pivotal variable, with a hump-shaped rather than monotonically positive effect on regional stability. This study introduces three operational concepts: stability conductance, scale resonance, and the diversity-stability landscape. Stability conductance measures the efficiency with which a change in β or γ diversity propagates to a change in regional stability. Scale resonance describes the amplification of regional variability when the spatiotemporal frequency of disturbances matches the intrinsic asynchronous oscillation period of the metacommunity. The diversity-stability landscape maps diversity configurations onto stability states and reveals thresholds, saddle points, and hysteresis. The study derives a hierarchical state equation and a simplified analytic module that links α, β, and γ components. The study proposes empirical strategies using global observation networks, remote sensing, Bayesian multiscale causal models, and spatially explicit simulations. The framework predicts that intermediate β diversity maximizes regional stability, that moderate landscape connectivity optimizes stability conductance, and that high β diversity reduces scale resonance. These results have direct implications for biodiversity conservation and global change early warning.

Keywords biodiversity;ecosystem stability;scale;β diversity;spatial insurance;metacommunity;multiscale cascade;stability conductance;scale resonance.


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