Articles | Volume 14, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-1211-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-14-1211-2023
Research article
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27 Nov 2023
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 27 Nov 2023

Land cover and management effects on ecosystem resistance to drought stress

Chenwei Xiao, Sönke Zaehle, Hui Yang, Jean-Pierre Wigneron, Christiane Schmullius, and Ana Bastos

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Preprint under review for ESSD
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Cited articles

Allen, C. D., Macalady, A. K., Chenchouni, H., Bachelet, D., McDowell, N., Vennetier, M., Kitzberger, T., Rigling, A., Breshears, D. D., Hogg, E. H. (Ted), Gonzalez, P., Fensham, R., Zhang, Z., Castro, J., Demidova, N., Lim, J.-H., Allard, G., Running, S. W., Semerci, A., and Cobb, N.: A global overview of drought and heat-induced tree mortality reveals emerging climate change risks for forests, Forest. Ecol. Manag., 259, 660–684, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.09.001, 2010. 
Anderegg, W. R. L., Konings, A. G., Trugman, A. T., Yu, K., Bowling, D. R., Gabbitas, R., Karp, D. S., Pacala, S., Sperry, J. S., Sulman, B. N., and Zenes, N.: Hydraulic diversity of forests regulates ecosystem resilience during drought, Nature, 561, 538–541, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0539-7, 2018. 
Barron-Gafford, G. A., Cable, J. M., Bentley, L. P., Scott, R. L., Huxman, T. E., Jenerette, G. D., and Ogle, K.: Quantifying the timescales over which exogenous and endogenous conditions affect soil respiration, New Phytol., 202, 442–454, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12675, 2014. 
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Editorial statement
This study provides a global synthesis of vegetation resistance to drought and heat, including the roles of forest management and crop irrigation. This uniquely complete overview is valuable to further our broader understanding of vegetation and ecosystem resilience to climatic stressors.
Short summary
Ecosystem resistance reflects their susceptibility during adverse conditions and can be changed by land management. We estimate ecosystem resistance to drought and temperature globally. We find a higher resistance to drought in forests compared to croplands and an evident loss of resistance to drought when primary forests are converted to secondary forests or they are harvested. Old-growth trees tend to be more resistant in some forests and crops benefit from irrigation during drought periods.
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