Cross-Site Comparisons of Dryland Ecosystem Response to Climate Change in the US Long-Term Ecological Research Network

abstract Long-term observations and experiments in diverse drylands reveal how ecosystems and services are responding to climate change. To develop generalities about climate change impacts at dryland sites, we compared broadscale patterns in climate and synthesized primary production responses amon...

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Published inBioscience Vol. 72; no. 9; pp. 889 - 907
Main Authors Hudson, Amy R, Peters, Debra P C, Blair, John M, Childers, Daniel L, Doran, Peter T, Geil, Kerrie, Gooseff, Michael, Gross, Katherine L, Haddad, Nick M, Pastore, Melissa A, Rudgers, Jennifer A, Sala, Osvaldo, Seabloom, Eric W, Shaver, Gaius
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford Oxford University Press 01.09.2022
Subjects
Air pollution
Arid zones
Climate
Climate change
Drought
Ecological research
Ecosystems
Environmental impact
Plant communities
Plant populations
Polar environments
Primary production
Resource availability
Special Section on LTER and Climate Change
Wildfires
United States > US
disturbance
ANPP
drought
LTER
wildfire
climate change
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Summary:abstract Long-term observations and experiments in diverse drylands reveal how ecosystems and services are responding to climate change. To develop generalities about climate change impacts at dryland sites, we compared broadscale patterns in climate and synthesized primary production responses among the eight terrestrial, nonforested sites of the United States Long-Term Ecological Research (US LTER) Network located in temperate (Southwest and Midwest) and polar (Arctic and Antarctic) regions. All sites experienced warming in recent decades, whereas drought varied regionally with multidecadal phases. Multiple years of wet or dry conditions had larger effects than single years on primary production. Droughts, floods, and wildfires altered resource availability and restructured plant communities, with greater impacts on primary production than warming alone. During severe regional droughts, air pollution from wildfire and dust events peaked. Studies at US LTER drylands over more than 40 years demonstrate reciprocal links and feedbacks among dryland ecosystems, climate-driven disturbance events, and climate change.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0006-3568
1525-3244
DOI:10.1093/biosci/biab134