Ecosystems may exhibit alternative stable states (ASS) in response to environmental change. Modelling and observational data broadly support the theory of ASS, however evidence from manipulation experiments supporting this theory is limited. Here, we provide long-term manipulation and observation data supporting the existence of drought induced alternative stable soil moisture states (irreversi...

The impacts of severe droughts on human activities, terrestrial ecosystems, and hydrologic systems are wide ranging and easily discernible. Because these impacts are felt at different times by water users, various forms of drought are recognized (e.g. agricultural, hydrological). The purpose of this study is to examine spatial patterns of drought in the contiguous United States on a seasonal ba...

Soil moisture (SMC) is a key state variable that influences both global water and energy budgets by controlling the redistribution of rainfall into infiltration, runoff, percolation in soil, and evapotranspiration. Due to these characteristics and to the great effect on the surface energy exchange, soil moisture content may have a strong impact on climate change dynamics and it is, therefore, a...

Global climate models suggest an increase in evapotranspiration, changing storm tracks, and moisture delivery in many parts of the world, which are likely to cause more prolonged and severe drought, yet the weakness of climate models in modeling persistence of hydroclimatic variables and the uncertainties associated with regional climate projections mean that impact assessments based on climate...

The effect of climate change on the frequency and intensity of droughts across the contiguous United States over the next century is assessed by applying Standardized Precipitation Indices and the Palmer Drought Severity Index to the full suite of 22 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change General Circulation Models for three IPCC-SRES emissions scenarios (B1, A1B, and A2 from the Special Rep...

Climate change models for many ecosystems predict more extreme climatic events in the future, including exacerbated drought conditions. Here we assess the effects of drought by quantifying temporal variation in community composition of a complex montane meadow landscape characterized by a hydrological gradient. The meadows occur in two regions of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (Gallatin and ...

Droughts occur as a result of lack water compared with normal conditions. Whilst this appears trivial, the exact drought definition is not. Especially different types are present, resulting from variables in hydrological system, each unique characteristics. We use common definition, percentile score, and apply same across all types, to study whether actual occurrence droughts matches definition...