Nitrogen Loading Enhances Stress Impact of Drought on a Semi-natural Temperate Grassland.

ABSTRACT: Two important threats to the sustainable functioning of seminatural grasslands in temperate zones are (1) nutrient loading due to agricultural fertilization and pollution, and (2) the increase of extreme drought events due to climate change. These threats may cause substantial shifts in species diversity and abundance and considerably affect the carbon and water balance of ecosystems. The synergistic effects between those two threats, however, can be complex and are poorly understood. Here, we experimentally investigated the effects of nitrogen addition and extreme drought (separately and in combination) on a seminatural temperate grassland, located in Freiburg (South Germany). To study the grassland response, we combined eddy-covariance techniques with open gas exchange systems. Open gas

SUBMITTER: Kubert A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6730263 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature