Global change drivers, such as anthropogenic nutrient inputs, are increasing globally. Nutrient deposition simultaneously alters plant biodiversity, species composition and ecosystem processes like aboveground biomass production. These changes are underpinned by species extinction, colonisation and shifting relative abundance. Here, we use the Price equation to quantify and link the contributions of species that are lost, gained or that persist to change in aboveground biomass in 59 experimental grassland sites. Under ambient (control) conditions, compositional and biomass turnover was high, and losses (i.e. local extinctions) were balanced by gains (i.e. colonisation). Under fertilisation, the decline in species richness resulted from increased species loss and decreases in species gained. Biomass increase under fertilisation resulted mostly from species that persist and to a lesser extent from species gained. Drivers of ecological change can interact relatively independently with diversity, composition and ecosystem processes and functions such as aboveground biomass due to the individual contributions of species lost, gained or persisting. EEA Santa Cruz Fil: Ladouceur, Emma. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv); Alemania Fil: Ladouceur, Emma. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ. Department of Physiological Diversity; Alemania Fil: Ladouceur, Emma. University of Leipzig. Department of Biology; Alemania Fil: Ladouceur, Emma. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Institute of Computer Science; Alemania Fil: Blowes, Shane A. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv); Alemania Fil: Blowes, Shane A. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Institute of Computer Science; Alemania Fil: Chase, Jonathan M. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv); Alemania Fil: Chase, Jonathan M. Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Institute of Computer Science; Alemania Fil: Clark, Adam T. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv); Alemania Fil: Clark, Adam T. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ. Department of Physiological Diversity; Alemania Fil: Clark, Adam T. Karl-Franzens University of Graz. Institute of Biology; Austria. Fil: Garbowski, Magda. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv); Alemania Fil: Garbowski, Magda. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ. Department of Physiological Diversity; Alemania Fil: Alberti, Juan. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Laboratorio de Ecología. Mar del Plata; Argentina. Fil: Alberti, Juan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Arnillas, Carlos Alberto. University of Toronto. Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences; Canadá. Fil: Bakker, Jonathan D. University of Washington. School of Environmental and Forest Sciences; Estados Unidos Fil: Barrio, Isabel C. Agricultural University of Iceland. Faculty of Environmental and Forest Sciences; Islandia Fil: Bharath, Siddharth. Atria University; India. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Santa Cruz; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral; Argentina. Fil: Peri, Pablo Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Fil: Harpole, Stanley. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv); Alemania Fil: Harpole, Stanley. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ. Department of Physiological Diversity; Alemania Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Institute of Computer Science; Alemania