Simulating atmospheric drought: Silica gel packets dehumidify mesocosm microclimates.

ABSTRACT: As global temperatures rise, droughts are becoming more frequent and severe. To predict how drought might affect plant communities, ecologists have traditionally designed drought experiments with controlled watering regimes and rainout shelters. Both treatments have proven effective for simulating soil drought. However, neither are designed to directly modify atmospheric drought. Here, we detail the efficacy of a silica gel atmospheric drought treatment in outdoor mesocosms with and without a co-occurring soil drought treatment. At California State University, Los Angeles, we monitored relative humidity, temperature, and vapor pressure deficit every 10 min for 5 months in bare-ground, open-top mesocosms treated with soil drought (reduced watering) and/or atmospheric drought (silica dehumid

SUBMITTER: Varghese S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11336202 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature