Timing of climate variability and grassland productivity

Future climates are forecast to include greater precipitation variability and more frequent heat waves, but the degree to which the timing of climate variability impacts ecosystems is uncertain. In a temperate, humid grassland, we examined the seasonal impacts of climate variability on 27 y of grass...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 2012-02, Vol.109 (9), p.3401-3405
Main Authors: Craine, Joseph M, Nippert, Jesse B, Elmore, Andrew J, Skibbe, Adam M, Hutchinson, Stacy L, Brunsell, Nathaniel A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological Sciences
Biomass
Climate
Climate Change
Climate models
Drought
Droughts
Ecosystem
ecosystems
environmental impact
Forecasting
Grasses
Grasslands
heat
High temperature
Humidity
Kansas
Models, Biological
Poaceae - growth & development
Poaceae - physiology
Precipitation
prediction
Productivity
Rain
Seasons
Soil
Soil water
Temperature
Time Factors
Watersheds
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Summary:Future climates are forecast to include greater precipitation variability and more frequent heat waves, but the degree to which the timing of climate variability impacts ecosystems is uncertain. In a temperate, humid grassland, we examined the seasonal impacts of climate variability on 27 y of grass productivity. Drought and high-intensity precipitation reduced grass productivity only during a 110-d period, whereas high temperatures reduced productivity only during 25 d in July. The effects of drought and heat waves declined over the season and had no detectable impact on grass productivity in August. If these patterns are general across ecosystems, predictions of ecosystem response to climate change will have to account not only for the magnitude of climate variability but also for its timing.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1118438109