What is it about?
A global study that shows the effects of extreme drought – which is expected to increase in frequency with climate change – has been greatly underestimated for grasslands and shrublands. The findings quantify the impact of extreme short-term drought on grassland and shrubland ecosystems across six continents with a level of detail that was not previously possible. It is the first time an experiment this extensive has been undertaken to generate a baseline understanding of the potential losses of plant productivity in these vital ecosystems.
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Why is it important?
Our study revealed that even short-term drought should be of concern, but that the largest impacts are expected to occur in drier regions. And thus mitigation/adaptation efforts should be focused on grassland/shrubland ecosystems that occur in these drier regions of the globe. Our study also revealed that some ecosystems are quite resistant to drought and understanding why this is the case is an important for informing adaptation/mitigation as well.
Perspectives
We have produced a truly unprecedented quantification of the effects of a single year of extreme drought - with the largest and most extensive field-based climate change experiment ever conducted. Single year droughts are the most common and impactful drought experienced by terrestrial ecosystems globally. We believe our results represent the most robust and generalizable quantification of short-term drought impacts ever compiled.
Melinda Smith
Colorado State University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Extreme drought impacts have been underestimated in grasslands and shrublands globally, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, January 2024, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309881120.
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