What functional strategies drive drought survival and recovery of perennial species from upland grassland?

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Extreme climatic events such as severe droughts are expected to increase with climate change and to limit grassland perennity. The present study aimed to characterize the adaptive responses by which temperate herbaceous grassland species resist, survive and recover from a severe drought and to explore the relationships between plant resource use and drought resistance strategies.

Methods

Monocultures of six native perennial species from upland grasslands and one Mediterranean drought-resistant cultivar were compared under semi-controlled and non-limiting rooting depth conditions. Above- and below-ground traits were measured under irrigation in spring and during drought in summer (50 d of withholding water) in order to characterize resource use and drought

SUBMITTER: Zwicke M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4640119 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature