A new study shows that in addition to the diversity of tree species, the variety of animal and fungus species also has a decisive influence on the performance of forests. Besides timber production, forest performance contributes to carbon storage and climate regulation. The study is based on 10 years of research in species-rich subtropical forests. A team of researchers led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg has published the results in the new issue of Nature Communications. They illustrate that biodiversity must be viewed as a whole in order to maintain the performance of forests.