Tree community resource economics control soil food web multifunctionality

Study sites and sampling design We used a pan-European network of 64 mature, uneven-aged forest plots (30 × 30 m 2 ) consisting of three-species mixture stands (34 plots) and corresponding monospecific stands (30 plots; Extended Data Table 1 ). These plots are part of the FunDivEUROPE (Functional Significance of Forest Biodiversity in Europe) exploratory platform 59 , and were established across European forests over 2011–2012 to investigate the role of the diversity and composition of regionally common and economically important tree species on ecosystem functioning. The studied plots were distributed across four locations featuring different European forest types and spanning a large biogeographic gradient: North Karelia (Finland), Białowieża (Poland), Râşca (Romania) and Colline Metallifere (Italy), corresponding to typical boreal, hemi-boreal, mountainous beech and thermophilous deciduous (Mediterranean) forests, respectively (Supplementary Table 4 and Supplementary Fig. 5a ). In each location, plots were carefully selected based on tree species richness and composition while minimizing as much as possible covariation with potentially confounding environmental factors such as topography and soil conditions 59 (Supplementary Fig. 2a ). …