Grasslands could lose four times more carbon uptake under future drought conditions‎

The effects of individual climate factors on ecosystems are usually considered in isolation. However, in reality, they occur simultaneously and influence each other. Increasing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere contribute to climate warming, which in turn fosters more frequent and intense drought periods. A study from Innsbruck shows that the consequences of drought on grasslands in a future climate will be more severe than previously assumed. The work of a team led by Maud Tissink and Michael Bahn from the Department of Ecology has been published in Science Advances.