Understanding controls on grassland productivity: preparing for a rapidly approaching future

Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Seminar

Presented by Dr. Alan Knapp, Department of Biology, Colorado State University (website)

Abstract: There is compelling evidence suggesting that worldwide, precipitation regimes (amount, variability, and extremes) have already been altered, and will continue to be to an even greater extent in the future. The ecosystem consequences of these alterations remain largely unresolved and poorly quantified. This is particularly problematic for water-limited, grass-dominated ecosystems such as grasslands and savannas. To generate the knowledge and understanding necessary to cope with a future with more variable precipitation regimes, experimental manipulations of precipitation
regimes can be a valuable research approach. I will review recent results from such field experiments, conducted across multiple grasslands in North America, to provide insight into how these important ecosystems are likely to function differently in the future.