Drought legacies and ecosystem responses to subsequent drought

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 28(17), P. 5086 - 5103

Published: May 24, 2022

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of droughts. These events, which can cause significant perturbations terrestrial ecosystems potentially long-term impacts on ecosystem structure functioning after drought has subsided are often called 'drought legacies'. While immediate effects have been comparatively well characterized, our broader understanding legacies just emerging. Drought relate all aspects functioning, involving changes at species community scale as alterations soil properties. This consequences for responses subsequent drought. Here, we synthesize current knowledge underlying mechanisms. We highlight relevance legacy duration different processes using examples carbon cycling composition. present hypotheses characterizing how intrinsic (i.e. biotic abiotic properties processes) extrinsic timing, severity, frequency) factors could alter resilience trajectories under scenarios recurrent events. propose ways improving their implications needed assess longer-term droughts functioning.

Language: Английский

---

Impact of aridity rise and arid lands expansion on carbon‐storing capacity, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem services

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 30(4)

Published: April 1, 2024

Abstract Drylands, comprising semi‐arid, arid, and hyperarid regions, cover approximately 41% of the Earth's land surface have expanded considerably in recent decades. Even under more optimistic scenarios, such as limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C by 2100, semi‐arid lands may increase up 38%. This study provides an overview state‐of‐the‐art regarding changing aridity arid with a specific focus on its effects accumulation availability carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) plant–soil systems. Additionally, we summarized impacts rising biodiversity, service provisioning, feedback climate change across scales. The expansion ecosystems is linked decline C nutrient stocks, plant community biomass diversity, thereby diminishing capacity for recovery maintaining adequate water‐use efficiency plants microbes. Prolonged drought led −3.3% reduction soil organic (SOC) content (based 148 drought‐manipulation studies), −8.7% decrease litter input, −13.0% absolute decomposition, −5.7% decomposition rate. Moreover, substantial positive loop warming exists, primarily due increased albedo. loss critical ecosystem services, including food production water resources, poses severe challenge inhabitants these regions. Increased reduces SOC, nutrient, content. Aridity intensification exacerbate socio‐economic disparities between economically rich least developed countries, significant opportunities improvement through investments infrastructure technology. By half world's landmass become dryland, characterized conditions marked limited C, N, P scarcity, native species biodiversity. These pose formidable challenges essential impacting human well‐being raising complex regional socio‐political challenges.

Language: Английский

---

Global critical soil moisture thresholds of plant water stress

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: June 6, 2024

Abstract During extensive periods without rain, known as dry-downs, decreasing soil moisture (SM) induces plant water stress at the point when it limits evapotranspiration, defining a critical SM threshold (θ crit ). Better quantification of θ is needed for improving future projections climate and resources, food production, ecosystem vulnerability. Here, we combine systematic satellite observations diurnal amplitude land surface temperature (dLST) during corroborated by in-situ data from flux towers, to generate observation-based global map . We find an average 0.19 m 3 /m , varying 0.12 in arid ecosystems 0.26 humid ecosystems. simulated Earth System Models overestimated dry areas underestimated wet areas. The observed pattern reflects adaptation available atmospheric demand. Using explainable machine learning, show that aridity index, leaf area texture are most influential drivers. Moreover, annual fraction days with stress, stays below has increased past four decades. Our results have important implications understanding inception models identifying tipping points.

Language: Английский

---

Impacts on and damage to European forests from the 2018–2022 heat and drought events

Natural hazards and earth system sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 25(1), P. 77 - 117

Published: Jan. 6, 2025

Abstract. Drought and heat events in Europe are becoming increasingly frequent due to human-induced climate change, impacting both human well-being ecosystem functioning. The intensity effects of these vary across the continent, making it crucial for decision-makers understand spatial variability drought impacts. Data on drought-related damage currently dispersed scientific publications, government reports, media outlets. This study consolidates data European forests from 2018 2022, using Europe-wide datasets including those related crown defoliation, insect damage, burnt forest areas, tree cover loss. data, covering 16 countries, were analysed four regions, northern, central, Alpine, southern, compared with a reference period 2010 2014. Findings reveal that all zones experienced reduced vitality elevated temperatures, varying severity. Central showed highest vulnerability, coniferous deciduous trees. southern zone, while affected by loss, demonstrated greater resilience, likely historical exposure. northern zone is experiencing emerging impacts less severely, possibly site-adapted boreal species, Alpine minimal impact, suggesting protective effect altitude. Key trends include (1) significant loss zones; (2) high levels despite 2021 being an average year, indicating lasting previous years; (3) notable challenges central Sweden bark beetle infestations; (4) no increase wildfire severity ongoing challenges. Based this assessment, we conclude (i) highly vulnerable heat, even resilient ecosystems at risk severe damage; (ii) tailored strategies essential mitigate change forests, incorporating regional differences resilience; (iii) effective management requires harmonised collection enhanced monitoring address future comprehensively.

Language: Английский

---

The grassland carbon cycle: Mechanisms, responses to global changes, and potential contribution to carbon neutrality

Fundamental Research, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 3(2), P. 209 - 218

Published: Oct. 22, 2022

Grassland is one of the largest terrestrial biomes, providing critical ecosystem services such as food production, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. Global land-use intensification have been causing grassland degradation desertification worldwide. As primary medium for energy flow biogeochemical cycling, carbon (C) cycling most fundamental process maintaining services. In this review, we first summarize recent advances in our understanding mechanisms underpinning spatial temporal patterns C cycle, discuss importance grasslands regulating inter- intra-annual variations global fluxes, explore previously unappreciated complexity abiotic processes controlling balance, including soil inorganic accumulation, photochemical thermal degradation, wind erosion. We also how changes could alter balance by modifying water budget, nutrient additional plant processes. Further, examine why increasing aridity improper land use may induce significant losses stocks. Finally, identify several priorities future research, improving strengthening monitoring dynamics integrating ground inventory, flux monitoring, modern remote sensing techniques, selecting appropriate species combinations with suitable traits strong resistance to fluctuations, which would help design sustainable restoration strategies a changing climate.

Language: Английский

---

Six decades of warming and drought in the world’s top wheat-producing countries offset the benefits of rising CO2 to yield

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: May 13, 2022

Abstract Future atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentration ([CO 2 ]) rise is expected to increase the grain yield of C3 crops like wheat even higher under drought. This expectation based on small-scale experiments and model simulations such observations. However, this combined effect has never been confirmed through actual observations at nationwide or regional scale. We present first evidence that warming drought in world’s leading wheat-producing countries offset benefits increasing [CO ] last six decades. Using country-level census observations, records, gridded climate data a statistical well-established methodology, we show ~ 98 μmol mol −1 increased by 7% area top-twelve countries, while 1.2 °C water depletion 29 mm m −2 reduced 3% 1%, respectively, decades (1961–2019). Our corroborated beneficial but contrasted Moreover, barely offsets adverse impacts Germany France, with net loss 3.1% no gain, end sampling period relative 1961–1965 baseline. In China wheat-growing areas former Soviet Union—two three largest regions—yields were 5.5% less than from current levels. results suggest shifting our efforts towards more experimental studies set currently warm dry combining these numerical modeling improve understanding future warmer drier world ].

Language: Английский

---

Plant-groundwater interactions in drylands: A review of current research and future perspectives

Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 341, P. 109636 - 109636

Published: Aug. 7, 2023

Language: Английский

---

Effects of aridification on soil total carbon pools in China's drylands

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 30(1)

Published: Dec. 13, 2023

Abstract Drylands are important carbon pools and highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly in the context of increasing aridity. However, there has been limited research on effects aridification soil total including organic inorganic carbon, which hinders comprehensive understanding projection dynamics drylands. To determine response aridification, understand how drives variation along aridity gradient through different ecosystem attributes, we measured across a ~4000 km drylands northern China. Distribution patterns at sites were analyzed. Results showed that had complementary relationship, is, an increase positively compensated for decrease semiarid hyperarid regions. Soil exhibited nonlinear change with aridity, effect shifted from negative positive level 0.71. In less arid regions, leads mainly whereas more promotes thus carbon. Our study highlights importance needs be considered when developing measures conserve terrestrial sink.

Language: Английский

---

Ecosystems in China have become more sensitive to changes in water demand since 2001

Communications Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 4(1)

Published: Nov. 28, 2023

Abstract Changes in heat and moisture significantly co-alter ecosystem functioning. However, knowledge on dynamics of responses to climate change is limited. Here, we quantify long-term sensitivity based weighted ratios vegetation productivity variability multiple variables from satellite observations, greater values which indicate more yields per hydrothermal condition change. Our results show exhibits large spatial increases with the aridity index. A positive temporal trend found 61.28% study area 2001 2021, largely attributed declining vapor pressure deficit constrained by solar radiation. Moreover, carbon dioxide plays a dual role; moderation promotes fertilization effects, whereas excess may suppress growth triggering droughts. findings highlight stress between land atmosphere one key prerequisites for stability, offsetting part negative effects heat.

Language: Английский

---

Identifying the optimal landscape configuration for landscape multifunctionality

Ecosystem Services, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 67, P. 101630 - 101630

Published: May 9, 2024

Increased pressure on land resources to provide multiple benefits calls for landscape strategies that optimize the supply of ecosystem services (ES). Previous research into drivers multifunctionality have focused use composition changes, but spatial configuration different types also drives ES supply. While impact individual is well understood, net outcome these influences when considering many not. Here we present net-balance interactions hypothesis, which posits strength and direction local surrounding an will drive its optimal configuration. Accordingly, balance across prioritized determine multifunctionality. Further, share same strategy form a bundle can be managed together. Using data from German grasslands demonstrate hypothesis applicable land-use planning scenarios aim maximize ES. It allows general rules applied local, detailed not available, help identify best option minimize trade-offs in face competing objectives.

Language: Английский

---