Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought

Ellen Stuart-Haëntjens; Hans J. De Boeck; Nathan P. Lemoine; Pille Mänd; György Kröel-Dulay; Inger K. Schmidt; Anke Jentsch; Andreas Stampfli; William R.l. Anderegg; Michael Bahn; Juergen Kreyling; Thomas Wohlgemuth; Francisco Lloret; Aimée T. Classen; Christopher M. Gough; Melinda D. Smith

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.290

Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought

Ellen Stuart-Haëntjens, Hans J. De Boeck, Nathan P. Lemoine, Pille Mänd, György Kröel-Dulay, Inger K. Schmidt, Anke Jentsch, Andreas Stampfli, William R.l. Anderegg, Michael Bahn, Juergen Kreyling, Thomas Wohlgemuth, Francisco Lloret, Aimée T. Classen, Christopher M. Gough, Melinda D. Smith

Forest, Nature and Biomass

37 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Extreme drought is increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions globally, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity to withstand change during extreme drought, and resilience, the degree to which production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring generalized patterns of ecological stability. Theory and many observations suggest forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought; however, studies of production sensitivity to precipitation variability indicate that the processes controlling resistance and resilience may be influenced more by mean annual precipitation (MAP) than ecosystem type. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought in 64 forests and grasslands across a broad MAP gradient. We found resistance to extreme drought was predicted by MAP; however, grasslands (positive) and forests (negative) exhibited opposing resilience relationships with MAP. Our findings indicate that common plant physiological mechanisms may determine grassland and forest resistance to extreme drought, whereas differences among plant residents in turnover time, plant architecture, and drought adaptive strategies likely underlie divergent resilience patterns. The low resistance and resilience of dry grasslands suggests that these ecosystems are the most vulnerable to extreme drought – a vulnerability that is expected to compound as extreme drought frequency increases in the future.

Original language	English
Journal	Science of the Total Environment
Volume	636
Pages (from-to)	360-366
ISSN	0048-9697
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.290
Publication status	Published - 15 Sept 2018

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10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.290

http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0048969718314670

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Stuart-Haëntjens, E., De Boeck, H. J., Lemoine, N. P., Mänd, P., Kröel-Dulay, G., Schmidt, I. K., Jentsch, A., Stampfli, A., Anderegg, W. R. L., Bahn, M., Kreyling, J., Wohlgemuth, T., Lloret, F., Classen, A. T., Gough, C. M., & Smith, M. D. (2018). Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought. Science of the Total Environment, 636, 360-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.290

Stuart-Haëntjens, E, De Boeck, HJ, Lemoine, NP, Mänd, P, Kröel-Dulay, G, Schmidt, IK, Jentsch, A, Stampfli, A, Anderegg, WRL, Bahn, M, Kreyling, J, Wohlgemuth, T, Lloret, F, Classen, AT, Gough, CM & Smith, MD 2018, 'Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 636, pp. 360-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.290

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title = "Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought",

abstract = "Extreme drought is increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions globally, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity to withstand change during extreme drought, and resilience, the degree to which production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring generalized patterns of ecological stability. Theory and many observations suggest forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought; however, studies of production sensitivity to precipitation variability indicate that the processes controlling resistance and resilience may be influenced more by mean annual precipitation (MAP) than ecosystem type. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought in 64 forests and grasslands across a broad MAP gradient. We found resistance to extreme drought was predicted by MAP; however, grasslands (positive) and forests (negative) exhibited opposing resilience relationships with MAP. Our findings indicate that common plant physiological mechanisms may determine grassland and forest resistance to extreme drought, whereas differences among plant residents in turnover time, plant architecture, and drought adaptive strategies likely underlie divergent resilience patterns. The low resistance and resilience of dry grasslands suggests that these ecosystems are the most vulnerable to extreme drought – a vulnerability that is expected to compound as extreme drought frequency increases in the future.",

author = "Ellen Stuart-Ha{\"e}ntjens and {De Boeck}, {Hans J.} and Lemoine, {Nathan P.} and Pille M{\"a}nd and Gy{\"o}rgy Kr{\"o}el-Dulay and Schmidt, {Inger K.} and Anke Jentsch and Andreas Stampfli and Anderegg, {William R.l.} and Michael Bahn and Juergen Kreyling and Thomas Wohlgemuth and Francisco Lloret and Classen, {Aim{\'e}e T.} and Gough, {Christopher M.} and Smith, {Melinda D.}",

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AU - De Boeck, Hans J.

AU - Lemoine, Nathan P.

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AU - Kröel-Dulay, György

AU - Schmidt, Inger K.

AU - Jentsch, Anke

AU - Stampfli, Andreas

AU - Anderegg, William R.l.

AU - Bahn, Michael

AU - Kreyling, Juergen

AU - Wohlgemuth, Thomas

AU - Lloret, Francisco

AU - Classen, Aimée T.

AU - Gough, Christopher M.

AU - Smith, Melinda D.

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N2 - Extreme drought is increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions globally, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity to withstand change during extreme drought, and resilience, the degree to which production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring generalized patterns of ecological stability. Theory and many observations suggest forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought; however, studies of production sensitivity to precipitation variability indicate that the processes controlling resistance and resilience may be influenced more by mean annual precipitation (MAP) than ecosystem type. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought in 64 forests and grasslands across a broad MAP gradient. We found resistance to extreme drought was predicted by MAP; however, grasslands (positive) and forests (negative) exhibited opposing resilience relationships with MAP. Our findings indicate that common plant physiological mechanisms may determine grassland and forest resistance to extreme drought, whereas differences among plant residents in turnover time, plant architecture, and drought adaptive strategies likely underlie divergent resilience patterns. The low resistance and resilience of dry grasslands suggests that these ecosystems are the most vulnerable to extreme drought – a vulnerability that is expected to compound as extreme drought frequency increases in the future.

AB - Extreme drought is increasing in frequency and intensity in many regions globally, with uncertain consequences for the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions, including primary production. Primary production resistance, the capacity to withstand change during extreme drought, and resilience, the degree to which production recovers, vary among and within ecosystem types, obscuring generalized patterns of ecological stability. Theory and many observations suggest forest production is more resistant but less resilient than grassland production to extreme drought; however, studies of production sensitivity to precipitation variability indicate that the processes controlling resistance and resilience may be influenced more by mean annual precipitation (MAP) than ecosystem type. Here, we conducted a global meta-analysis to investigate primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought in 64 forests and grasslands across a broad MAP gradient. We found resistance to extreme drought was predicted by MAP; however, grasslands (positive) and forests (negative) exhibited opposing resilience relationships with MAP. Our findings indicate that common plant physiological mechanisms may determine grassland and forest resistance to extreme drought, whereas differences among plant residents in turnover time, plant architecture, and drought adaptive strategies likely underlie divergent resilience patterns. The low resistance and resilience of dry grasslands suggests that these ecosystems are the most vulnerable to extreme drought – a vulnerability that is expected to compound as extreme drought frequency increases in the future.

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DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.290

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SN - 0048-9697

VL - 636

SP - 360

EP - 366

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

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Mean annual precipitation predicts primary production resistance and resilience to extreme drought

Abstract

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