The research paper “Biodiversity Enhances Pond Ecosystem Multifunctionality Across Europe” was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution on 14 October 2026. Its authors include Prof. Dr. Meryem Beklioğlu, a faculty member of the METU Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the Ecosystem Research Center (EKOSAM), and Feride Avcı, a researcher at the METU Limnology Laboratory.
The study was carried out within the PONDERFUL project, which is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme and includes METU among its partners. It examined a total of 206 ponds in seven European countries: Türkiye, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain and Switzerland. Prof. Dr. Beklioğlu and Avcı coordinated the fieldwork at 29 ponds in Türkiye.
The study looked at how the diversity of aquatic plants, zooplankton, aquatic invertebrates and amphibians relates to ecosystem functions such as methane emission, primary production and biomass. The findings showed a positive relationship between biodiversity and the capacity of ponds to sustain multiple ecosystem functions, and this relationship tended to be stronger in arid regions. Zooplankton diversity in particular was strongly linked to ecosystem functions. In contrast, higher nutrient concentrations associated with agricultural activities were negatively linked to these functions. The study suggests that pond conservation and restoration should address maintaining biodiversity and reducing nutrient pollution together.
The paper is available here.