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Legacy effects in linked ecological–soil–geomorphic systems of drylands
Author(s) -
Monger Curtis,
Sala Osvaldo E,
Duniway Michael C,
Goldfus Haim,
Meir Isaac A,
Poch Rosa M,
Throop Heather L,
Vivoni Enrique R
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/140269
Subject(s) - ecology , context (archaeology) , temporal scales , phenomenon , geography , earth science , environmental science , geology , biology , archaeology , physics , quantum mechanics
A legacy effect refers to the impacts that previous conditions have on current processes or properties. Legacies have been recognized by many disciplines, from physiology and ecology to anthropology and geology. Within the context of climatic change, ecological legacies in drylands (eg vegetative patterns) result from feedbacks between biotic, soil, and geomorphic processes that operate at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Legacy effects depend on (1) the magnitude of the original phenomenon, (2) the time since the occurrence of the phenomenon, and (3) the sensitivity of the ecological–soil–geomorphic system to change. Here we present a conceptual framework for legacy effects at short‐term (days to months), medium‐term (years to decades), and long‐term (centuries to millennia) timescales, which reveals the ubiquity of such effects in drylands across research disciplines.