Convergence across biomes to a common rain-use efficiency

Travis E. Huxman, Melinda D. Smith, Philip A. Fay, Alan K. Knapp, M. Rebecca Shaw, Michael E. Lolk, Stanley D. Smith, David T. Tissue, John C. Zak, Jake F. Weltzin, William T. Pockman, Osvaldo E. Sala, Brent M. Haddad, John Harte, George W. Koch, Susan Schwinning, Eric E. Small, David G. Williams

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1017 Scopus citations

Abstract

Water availability limits plant growth and production in almost all terrestrial ecosystems. However, biomes differ substantially in sensitivity of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) to between-year variation in precipitation. Average rain-use efficiency (RUE; ANPP/precipitation) also varies between biomes, supposedly because of differences in vegetation structure and/or biogeochemical constraints. Here we show that RUE decreases across biomes as mean annual precipitation increases. However, during the driest years at each site, there is convergence to a common maximum RUE (RUEmax) that is typical of arid ecosystems. RUEmax was also identified by experimentally altering the degree of limitation by water and other resources. Thus, in years when water is most limiting, deserts, grasslands and forests all exhibit the same rate of biomass production per unit rainfall, despite differences in physiognomy and site-level RUE. Global climate models predict increased between-year variability in precipitation, more frequent extreme drought events, and changes in temperature. Forecasts of future ecosystem behaviour should take into account this convergent feature of terrestrial biomes.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)651-654
Number of pages4
JournalNature
Volume429
Issue number6992
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 10 2004

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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