Drought neutralises plant–soil feedback of two mesic grassland forbs

Small-mammal seed predation limits the recruitment and abundance of two perennial grassland forbs.

Although post-dispersal seed predators are common and often reduce seed density, their influence on plant population abundance remains unclear. On the one hand, increasing evidence suggests that many plant populations are seed limited, implying that seed predators could reduce plant abundance. On the other hand,.it is generally uncertain whether the magnitude of seed limitation imposed by grani...

Classification of Root Systems of Forbs of Grassland and a Consideration of Their Significance

Seed banks of native forbs, but not exotic grasses, increase during extreme drought.

Extreme droughts such as the one that affected California in 2012-2015 have been linked to severe ecological consequences in perennial-dominated communities such as forests. In annual communities, drought impacts are difficult to assess because many species persist through facultative multiyear seed dormancy, which leads to the development of seed banks. Impacts of extreme drought on the abunda...

Global diversity of drought tolerance and grassland climate-change resilience

Drought reduces plant productivity, induces widespread plant mortality and limits the geographic distribution of plant species1–7. As climates warm and precipitation patterns shift in the future8,9, understanding the distribution of the diversity of plant drought tolerance is central to predicting future ecosystem function and resilience to climate change10–12. These questions are especially pr...

Suitability Assessment of Satellite-Derived Drought Indices for Mongolian Grassland

In Mongolia, drought is a major natural disaster that can influence and devastate large regions, reduce livestock production, cause economic damage, and accelerate desertification in association with destructive human activities. The objective of this article is to determine the optimal satellite-derived drought indices for accurate and real-time expression of grassland drought in Mongolia. Fir...