Large‐scale early‐wilting response of Central European forests to the 2018 extreme drought

Brun, Philipp; Psomas, Achilleas; Ginzler, Christian; Thuiller, Wilfried; Zappa, Massimiliano; Zimmermann, Niklaus E.

doi:10.1111/gcb.15360

Cited by 92 publications

(112 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(73 reference statements)

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“…Tolerance to water stress has also been linked to tree size in several studies. However, different studies have shown differing trends, with greater vulnerability observed in smaller trees (e.g Peng et al, 2011; Brun et al, 2020), large trees (Nepstad et al, 2007; Bennett et al, 2015; Rowland et al, 2015; Stovall et al, 2019), or both (Keith et al, 2012). Differing patterns of resilience to drought with tree size has been attributed to differences in rooting depth (Giardina et al, 2018), water and carbon demands (Stovall et al, 2019) and preferential tree selection by biotic agents (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydraulic failure and tree size linked with canopy die‐back in eucalypt forest during extreme drought

et al. 2021

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Summary Eastern Australia was subject to its hottest and driest year on record in 2019. This extreme drought resulted in massive canopy die‐back in eucalypt forests. The role of hydraulic failure and tree size on canopy die‐back in three eucalypt tree species during this drought was examined. We measured pre‐dawn and midday leaf water potential (Ψleaf), per cent loss of stem hydraulic conductivity and quantified hydraulic vulnerability to drought‐induced xylem embolism. Tree size and tree health was also surveyed. Trees with most, or all, of their foliage dead exhibited high rates of native embolism (78–100%). This is in contrast to trees with partial canopy die‐back (30–70% canopy die‐back: 72–78% native embolism), or relatively healthy trees (little evidence of canopy die‐back: 25–31% native embolism). Midday Ψleaf was significantly more negative in trees exhibiting partial canopy die‐back (−2.7 to −6.3 MPa), compared with relatively healthy trees (−2.1 to −4.5 MPa). In two of the species the majority of individuals showing complete canopy die‐back were in the small size classes. Our results indicate that hydraulic failure is strongly associated with canopy die‐back during drought in eucalypt forests. Our study provides valuable field data to help constrain models predicting mortality risk.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydraulic failure and tree size linked with canopy die‐back in eucalypt forest during extreme drought

et al. 2021

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“…Recruitment was especially low during extreme heatwaves as in the summers of 1992, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2015 and 2018, which had severe impacts on vegetation productivity (Ciais et al, 2005), species composition (Fischer et al, 2020) and forest dieback in Europe (Brun et al, 2020).…”

Section: Recruitment and Population Dynamics Under Climate Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, water deficiency and heatwaves can directly limit the regeneration, growth, and survival of plant species adapted to wet and cold conditions (Anderson, 2016; Liancourt et al, 2020). However, little is known about the species-specific responses of plants to environmental change drivers, such as recent accelerated warming and frequent summer droughts (Brun et al, 2020; Dolezal et al, 2020). Moreover, while responses to current climate change are extensively documented in trees and shrubs (Francon et al, 2020; Altman et al, 2020), comprehensive assessments of long-term regeneration and growth responses to climate change are still rare in herbs, yet they encompass a vast majority of the plant species globally (Dee & Stambaugh, 2019; Dolezal et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate fluctuations drive the recruitment and growth of temperate grassland plants

Doležal

Altman

Jandová

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Recent climate warming is associated with the increasing magnitude and frequency of extreme events, including heatwaves and drought periods worldwide. Such events can have major effects on the species composition of plant communities, hence on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Here we studied responses of Central European dry grassland plants to fluctuating temperature and precipitation over the last thirty years with monthly temporal resolution. We assessed the seasonal and annual dynamics of plant recruitment and growth based on the analysis of annual growth rings from the root collar. Although most studies so far applied such methods to trees and shrubs, we focused on typical grassland plants, two forbs and two chamaephytes. We related the recruitment and annual growth to monthly and annual precipitation, temperature and aridity between 1991 and 2019. We revealed species-specific responses, namely the (i) recruitment of deep-rooted, heavy-seeded species was positively affected by precipitation in both late winter-early spring and summer, whereas recruitment of shallow-rooted, light-seeded species was weakly influenced by climate fluctuations; (ii) growth of shallow-rooted species was more adversely affected by high summer temperature and drought than the growth of deep-rooted species. The population age structure of all the studied species was affected by the climate of the past decades. Most individuals established in the wet period of the 2000s, fewer in the precipitation-poorer 1990s, and the establishment was considerably reduced in the dry and warm period of the 2010s. Our findings indicate that the change towards warmer and drier climate has a profound effect even on drought-adapted ecosystems such as temperate dry grasslands. However, plant responses to various climatic extremes are species-specific, depending on their characteristics, such as life form or rooting depth. Consequently, the ongoing and anticipated climate warming will likely result in complex changes in species composition and other ecosystem properties of temperate grasslands.

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“…Natural disturbances, such as res, droughts, or insect outbreaks, are key drivers of ecosystem dynamics and community structure 1 . Global change could exacerbate their severity and frequency worldwide with potential extensive impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems and human societies 2,3 . Understanding the effect of disturbances on the dynamics and structure of biodiversity is therefore more than ever a crucial issue in ecology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cascading Effects of Moth Outbreaks on Subarctic Soil Food Webs

Calderón‐Sanou

Münkemüller

Zinger

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

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The increasing severity and frequency of natural disturbances requires a better understanding of their effects on all compartments of biodiversity. In Northern Fennoscandia, recent large-scale moth outbreaks have led to an abrupt change in plant communities from birch forests dominated by dwarf shrubs to grass-dominated systems. However, the indirect effects on the belowground compartment remained unclear. Here, we combined eDNA survey of multiple trophic groups with network analyses to demonstrate that moth defoliation has far-reaching consequences on soil food webs. Following this disturbance, diversity and relative abundance of certain trophic groups declined (e.g. ectomycorrhizal fungi) while many others profited (e.g. bacterivores, omnivores) making soil food webs more diverse and structurally different. Overall, the direct and indirect consequences of moth outbreaks increased belowground diversity at different trophic levels. Our results highlight that a holistic view of ecosystems improves our understanding of cascading effects of major disturbances on soil food webs.

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Large‐scale early‐wilting response of Central European forests to the 2018 extreme drought

Abstract: During the summer 2018, Central Europe experienced the most extreme drought and heat wave on record, exceeding even the mil

Cited by 92 publications

References 41 publications

Hydraulic failure and tree size linked with canopy die‐back in eucalypt forest during extreme drought

Hydraulic failure and tree size linked with canopy die‐back in eucalypt forest during extreme drought

Climate fluctuations drive the recruitment and growth of temperate grassland plants

Cascading Effects of Moth Outbreaks on Subarctic Soil Food Webs

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