Drought as an emergent driver of ecological transformation in the twenty-first century Journal Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Abstract; Under climate change, ecosystems are experiencing novel drought regimes, often in combination with stressors that reduce resilience and amplify drought’s impacts. Consequently, drought appears increasingly likely to push systems beyond important physiological and ecological thresholds, resulting in substantial changes in ecosystem characteristics persisting long after drought ends (i.e., ecological transformation). In the present article, we clarify how drought can lead to transformation across a wide variety of ecosystems including forests, woodlands, and grasslands. Specifically, we describe how climate change alters drought regimes and how this translates to impacts on plant population growth, either directly or through drought's interactions with factors such as land management, biotic interactions, and other disturbances. We emphasize how interactions among mechanisms can inhibit postdrought recovery and can shift trajectories toward alternate states. Providing a holistic picture of how drought initiates long-term change supports the development of risk assessments, predictive models, and management strategies, enhancing preparedness for a complex and growing challenge.

publication date

  • September 2, 2024

has restriction

  • closed

Date in CU Experts

  • July 24, 2024 5:17 AM

Full Author List

  • Moss WE; Crausbay SD; Rangwala I; Wason JW; Trauernicht C; Stevens-Rumann CS; Sala A; Rottler CM; Pederson GT; Miller BW

author count

  • 18

Other Profiles

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0006-3568

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1525-3244

Additional Document Info

start page

  • 524

end page

  • 538

volume

  • 74

issue

  • 8