Grasslands face more frequent and extreme droughts; yet, their responses to increasing drought intensity are poorly understood. Increasing drought intensity likely triggers abrupt shifts (thresholds) in grassland ecosystem functioning which can implicate recovery trajectories.
Here, we determined how drought intensity affects plant productivity, and plant\uffe2\uff80\uff93soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. We exposed model grassland plant communities with contrasting resource acquisition strategies (a fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90 vs a slow\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy plant community), to a gradient of drought intensity. The drought gradient ranged from well\uffe2\uff80\uff90watered to severely water\uffe2\uff80\uff90limited conditions. We identified thresholds of plant community productivity (above\uffe2\uff80\uff90ground biomass) at peak drought and 2\uffe2\uff80\uff89months after re\uffe2\uff80\uff90wetting, and measured net ecosystem exchange and ecosystem respiration of C\uffc2\uffa0throughout the drought and recovery phases. At peak drought and 1\uffe2\uff80\uff89week after re\uffe2\uff80\uff90wetting, we traced recently acquired C from plants to the soil and into microbial biomass and fatty acids using 13C pulse labelling, and measured plant and soil N.
At peak drought, slow\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy plant communities were more drought resistant than fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy communities, as the threshold in plant productivity occurred at a higher drought intensity for the slow\uffe2\uff80\uff90 than the fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy community. Shortly after re\uffe2\uff80\uff90wetting, microbial uptake of recent plant\uffe2\uff80\uff90assimilated C increased with increasing past drought intensity, coinciding with an increase in soil N availability and leaf N. Threshold responses to drought intensity at peak drought translated into non\uffe2\uff80\uff90linear recovery responses, with greater compensatory growth in the fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy community. At peak drought, increasing drought intensity reduced C uptake and increased relative C partitioning to leaves and microbial biomass. Upon re\uffe2\uff80\uff90wetting, plant community strategy mediated drought intensity effects on plant and soil C and N dynamics and plant recovery trajectories. The fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy community recovered quickly, with higher leaf N than the slow community, while the slow community increased C allocation to microbial biomass.
Synthesis. Our findings highlight that C and N dynamics in the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff93soil system display non\uffe2\uff80\uff90linear responses to increasing drought intensity both during and after drought, which has implications for plant community recovery trajectories.
Climate change is expected to cause mountain species to shift their ranges to higher elevations. Due to the decreasing amounts of habitats with increasing elevation, such shifts are likely to increase their extinction risk. Heterogeneous mountain topography, however, may reduce this risk by providing microclimatic conditions that can buffer macroclimatic warming or provide nearby refugia. As aspect strongly influences the local microclimate, we here assess whether shifts from warm south\uffe2\uff80\uff90exposed aspects to cool north\uffe2\uff80\uff90exposed aspects in response to climate change can compensate for an upward shift into cooler elevations.LocationSwitzerland, Swiss Alps.
MethodsWe built ensemble distribution models using high\uffe2\uff80\uff90resolution climate data for two mountain\uffe2\uff80\uff90dwelling viviparous ectotherms, the Alpine salamander and the Common lizard, and projected them into various future scenarios to gain insights into distributional changes. We further compared elevation and aspect (northness) of current and predicted future locations to analyse preferences and future shifts.
ResultsFuture ranges were consistently decreasing for the lizard, but for the salamander they were highly variable, depending on the climate scenario and threshold rule. Aspect preferences were elevation\uffe2\uff80\uff90dependent: warmer, south\uffe2\uff80\uff90exposed microclimates were clearly preferred at higher compared to lower elevations. In terms of presence and future locations, we observed both elevational upward shifts and northward shifts in aspect. Under future conditions, the shift to cooler north\uffe2\uff80\uff90exposed aspects was particularly pronounced at already warmer lower elevations.
Main conclusionsFor our study species, shifts in aspect and elevation are complementary strategies to mitigate climatic warming in the complex mountain topography. This complements the long\uffe2\uff80\uff90standing view of elevational upward shift being their only option to move into areas with suitable future climate. High\uffe2\uff80\uff90resolution climate data are critical in heterogeneous environments to identify microrefugia and thereby improving future impact assessments of climate change.
", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "0301 basic medicine", "570", "4290733-0", "elevation", "aspect", "Modellierung", "4077275-5", "ddc:900", "01 natural sciences", "4128128-7", "10127 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies", "03 medical and health sciences", "4170297-9", "Schweizer Alpen", "Anthropogene Klima\u00e4nderung", "Wechselwarme", "aspect; climate change; ectotherms; microrefugia; mountain topography; Salamandra atra; species distribution modelling; Switzerland; thresholds; Zootoca vivipara", "4189352-9", "shift", "15. Life on land", "reptile", "1105 Ecology", " Evolution", " Behavior and Systematics", "climate change", "Geschichte und Geografie", "900", "13. Climate action", "Anpassung", "570 Life sciences; biology", "590 Animals (Zoology)", "amphibian", "[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://air.unimi.it/bitstream/2434/785568/2/feldmeier%202020%20divers%20distrib.pdf"}, {"href": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ddi.13146"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13146"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Diversity%20and%20Distributions", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/ddi.13146", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/ddi.13146", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/ddi.13146"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2020-08-26T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1126/science.aay5958", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:19:55Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-02-14", "title": "Global ecosystem thresholds driven by aridity", "description": "Thresholds of aridityIncreasing aridity due to climate change is expected to affect multiple ecosystem structural and functional attributes in global drylands, which cover \uffe2\uff88\uffbc45% of the terrestrial globe. Berdugo et al. show that increasing aridity promotes thresholds on the structure and functioning of drylands (see the Perspective by Hirota and Oliveira). Their database includes 20 variables summarizing multiple aspects and levels of ecological organization. They found evidence for a series of abrupt ecological events occurring sequentially in three phases, culminating with a shift to low-cover ecosystems that are nutrient- and species-poor at high aridity values. They estimate that more than 20% of land surface will cross at least one of the thresholds by 2100, which can potentially lead to widespread land degradation and desertification worldwide.
Science , this issue p. 787 ; see also p. 739 A Soil Monitoring Law to improve soil health across all land uses has been proposed by the European Commission. As forests soils have different chemical and physical properties as well as biogeochemical dynamics compared to agricultural land, they also face different challenges in maintaining and restoring soil health. Examples are soil acidification, eutrophication by atmospheric deposition, responses to climate change, and loss of biodiversity. Therefore, we propose forest soil specific health descriptors and thresholds based on experience and knowledge from existing long-term monitoring programs.
", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "2. Zero hunger", "ICP Forests", "soil health", "tresholds", "Forestry", "ICP forests", "Forest soil monitoring", "SD1-669.5", "15. Life on land", "01 natural sciences", "indicators", "630", "forest floor", "forest soil monitoring", "13. Climate action", "Soil health", "11. Sustainability", "Indicators", "Thresholds", "Forest floor", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Annals%20of%20Forest%20Science", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7", "name": "item", "description": "10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1186/s13595-024-01238-7"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-06-04T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10138/308070", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-06-23T16:25:35Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2017-12-13", "title": "Effects of climate change on the distribution of hoverfly species (Diptera: Syrphidae) in Southeast Europe", "description": "\u00a9 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature. Climate change presents a serious threat to global biodiversity. Loss of pollinators in particular has major implications, with extirpation of these species potentially leading to severe losses in agriculture and, thus, economic losses. In this study, we forecast the effects of climate change on the distribution of hoverflies in Southeast Europe using species distribution modelling and climate change scenarios for two time-periods. For 2041\u20132060, 19 analysed species were predicted to increase their areas of occupancy, with the other 25 losing some of their ranges. For 2061\u20132080, 55% of species were predicted to increase their area of occupancy, while 45% were predicted to experience range decline. In general, range size changes for most species were below 20%, indicating a relatively high resilience of hoverflies to climate change when only environmental variables are considered. Additionally, range-restricted species are not predicted to lose more area proportionally to widespread species. Based on our results, two distributional trends can be established: the predicted gain of species in alpine regions, and future loss of species from lowland areas. Considering that the loss of pollinators from present lowland agricultural areas is predicted and that habitat degradation presents a threat to possible range expansion of hoverflies in the future, developing conservation management strategy for the preservation of these species is crucial. This study represents an important step towards the assessment of the effects of climate changes on hoverflies and can be a valuable asset in creating future conservation plan, thus helping in mitigating potential consequences.", "keywords": ["0106 biological sciences", "LAND-USE", "SELECTING THRESHOLDS", "Global warming", "AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS", "Conservation", "15. Life on land", "DISTRIBUTION MODELS", "EXTINCTION RISK", "01 natural sciences", "ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGE", "Insects", "Environmental sciences", "Ecology", " evolutionary biology", "13. Climate action", "Species distribution modelling", "GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTIONS", "LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE", "AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION", "BALKAN PENINSULA", "Endemism"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10531-017-1486-6.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10138/308070"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Biodiversity%20and%20Conservation", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10138/308070", "name": "item", "description": "10138/308070", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10138/308070"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2017-12-13T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10261/406452", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Closed Access", "updated": "2026-06-23T16:25:45Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2025-10-14", "title": "Digital Soil Health Assessment: Pedogenon Mapping and Unit\u2010Specific Thresholds for Basque Country Forest Plantations", "description": "ABSTRACTIn Europe, rural landscapes and forests have been subjected to intensive anthropogenic transformations and uses since Antiquity. Since the early 20th century, many traditionally managed forests and mountain pastures were transformed into intensive forestry plantations. Hence, it is important to assess the effects of forest plantations on soil health. The European Soil Monitoring Law (SML) proposes the establishment of soil units for monitoring soil health and soil degradation processes using time\uffe2\uff80\uff90series of several indicators: SOC:clay for soil organic carbon (SOC) loss, pH for acidification and bulk density for compaction, among others. Thresholds that may be local must be defined for these different indicators. We propose an approach in which: (1) we delineate soil units applying unsupervised classification to a set of environmental covariates, proxies of the soil\uffe2\uff80\uff90forming factors (pedogenon mapping) and (2) use semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural native forests (i.e., secondary forests of native species with lesser human interventions compared to past decades) as references for setting unit\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific thresholds for soil indicators (reference approach) and (3) assessing and mapping the condition of forest plantations (intensively managed forests). We apply this approach to the Basque Country using soil data from the forest monitoring network Basonet. When considering the threshold suggested by the SML for SOC:clay (<\uffe2\uff80\uff891/13), 61% of plots at 0\uffe2\uff80\uff9320\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm layer and 90% at 20\uffe2\uff80\uff9340\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm layer of plantations were in poor condition (unhealthy), while 37% of plots at 0\uffe2\uff80\uff9320\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm and 79% at 20\uffe2\uff80\uff9340\uffe2\uff80\uff89cm of semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural forests would be considered unhealthy. When considering semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural forest as references the proportion of plantation plots in poor condition for SOC:clay ranged between 14%\uffe2\uff80\uff9350% depending on the percentile used to set thresholds (5th and 25th percentiles). Forest plantations had lower soil pH compared to semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural forests, with 15%\uffe2\uff80\uff9360% of plantation plots with pH lower than the unit\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific thresholds (poor condition). Only 3% of topsoils and 2% of subsoils under plantations were considered unhealthy with a fixed pH threshold of 4.2. All plantation plots were in good condition (healthy) in terms of bulk density with the EU criteria, but 9.6% of semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90natural plots had greater bulk density than the suggested thresholds. Our approach demonstrates the need of considering the context of soil\uffe2\uff80\uff90forming factors when identifying thresholds for soil health indicators. Increasing aridity due to climate change is expected to affect multiple ecosystem structural and functional attributes in global drylands, which cover \uffe2\uff88\uffbc45% of the terrestrial globe. Berdugo et al. show that increasing aridity promotes thresholds on the structure and functioning of drylands (see the Perspective by Hirota and Oliveira). Their database includes 20 variables summarizing multiple aspects and levels of ecological organization. They found evidence for a series of abrupt ecological events occurring sequentially in three phases, culminating with a shift to low-cover ecosystems that are nutrient- and species-poor at high aridity values. They estimate that more than 20% of land surface will cross at least one of the thresholds by 2100, which can potentially lead to widespread land degradation and desertification worldwide.
Science , this issue p. 787 ; see also p. 739
Grasslands face more frequent and extreme droughts; yet, their responses to increasing drought intensity are poorly understood. Increasing drought intensity likely triggers abrupt shifts (thresholds) in grassland ecosystem functioning which can implicate recovery trajectories.
Here, we determined how drought intensity affects plant productivity, and plant\uffe2\uff80\uff93soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. We exposed model grassland plant communities with contrasting resource acquisition strategies (a fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90 vs a slow\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy plant community), to a gradient of drought intensity. The drought gradient ranged from well\uffe2\uff80\uff90watered to severely water\uffe2\uff80\uff90limited conditions. We identified thresholds of plant community productivity (above\uffe2\uff80\uff90ground biomass) at peak drought and 2\uffe2\uff80\uff89months after re\uffe2\uff80\uff90wetting, and measured net ecosystem exchange and ecosystem respiration of C\uffc2\uffa0throughout the drought and recovery phases. At peak drought and 1\uffe2\uff80\uff89week after re\uffe2\uff80\uff90wetting, we traced recently acquired C from plants to the soil and into microbial biomass and fatty acids using 13C pulse labelling, and measured plant and soil N.
At peak drought, slow\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy plant communities were more drought resistant than fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy communities, as the threshold in plant productivity occurred at a higher drought intensity for the slow\uffe2\uff80\uff90 than the fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy community. Shortly after re\uffe2\uff80\uff90wetting, microbial uptake of recent plant\uffe2\uff80\uff90assimilated C increased with increasing past drought intensity, coinciding with an increase in soil N availability and leaf N. Threshold responses to drought intensity at peak drought translated into non\uffe2\uff80\uff90linear recovery responses, with greater compensatory growth in the fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy community. At peak drought, increasing drought intensity reduced C uptake and increased relative C partitioning to leaves and microbial biomass. Upon re\uffe2\uff80\uff90wetting, plant community strategy mediated drought intensity effects on plant and soil C and N dynamics and plant recovery trajectories. The fast\uffe2\uff80\uff90strategy community recovered quickly, with higher leaf N than the slow community, while the slow community increased C allocation to microbial biomass.
Synthesis. Our findings highlight that C and N dynamics in the plant\uffe2\uff80\uff93soil system display non\uffe2\uff80\uff90linear responses to increasing drought intensity both during and after drought, which has implications for plant community recovery trajectories.