Articles | Volume 17, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-987-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-17-987-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
13 Jul 2026
Research article |
| 13 Jul 2026
| 13 Jul 2026
Amplification of ENSO-driven vegetation variability at decadal and longer timescales
Nora L. S. Fahrenbach
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Robert C. J. Wills
Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Short summary
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drives short-term global plant changes, but its influence on decadal changes is not fully known. Using global climate models, we found that plants show pronounced ENSO-driven changes on decadal and longer timescales. Slow plant responses are influenced by soil water content and plant dynamics but only have a weak effect on the plant’s net carbon uptake. Our work shows that vegetation memory could be an important source of decadal climate predictability.
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) drives short-term global plant changes, but its...
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