Drought-Exposure History Improves Recovery of Grassland Communities from Subsequent Drought
Published:05 Jul.2022 Source:University of Zurich
When a plant community is exposed to drought, the different species undergo evolutionary changes. An international study with UZH participation now shows that this leads to improved resilience to future drought stress over time.
The exposure to drought during previous generations in the field increases complementarity between offspring of different grassland species and thus makes them more resilient to subsequent drought. An international research team has revealed this transgenerational effect with about 1,000 experimental plant communities in pots. The results suggest that if past extreme climatic events do not completely wipe out species, they may enhance the sustainability of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a future with more frequent extreme events.