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Extensive drought‐associated plant mortality as an agent of type‐conversion in chaparral shrublands
Author(s) -
Jacobsen Anna L.,
Pratt R. Brandon
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.15186
Subject(s) - chaparral , shrubland , shrub , ecology , ecosystem , deserts and xeric shrublands , disturbance (geology) , vegetation (pathology) , plant community , biology , geography , species richness , habitat , paleontology , pathology , medicine
ContentsSummary 498 I. Introduction 498 II. Ecological drought and vegetation type‐conversion 499 III. Chaparral mortality during extreme drought events 501 IV. Some species survive drought and others do not 501 V. Recovery potential 502 VI. Conclusions 503Acknowledgements 503References 503Summary California experienced an intense drought from 2012 to 2015, with southern California remaining in drought to the present. Widespread chaparral shrub mortality was observed during the peak of the drought in 2014. Some species were more impacted than others and shallow‐rooted shrub species were the most vulnerable to drought‐associated mortality. This type of drought represents what is termed an ‘ecological drought’ during which an ecosystem is driven beyond thresholds of vulnerability, triggering impairment of ecosystem services and feedbacks that may result in long‐term type‐conversion of natural communities. The ability of shrublands to recover will depend on the timing, intensity and seasonality of future extreme climate events, post‐fire recruitment potential of species with obligate fire‐associated recruitment, and interactions with other stresses.