Drought in a warmer, CO2-rich climate restricts grassland water use and soil water mixing

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By Jesse Radolinski  et al, Science. 

Summary: With climate change, droughts are expected to become more frequent and severe in many regions, but temperature and elevated CO2 may modify its effects on soil, water, and vegetation: temperature by increasing plants’ water needs and CO2 by decreasing them. Radolinski et al. conducted a field experiment in an Austrian montane grassland to determine the effects of these changes on soil water. Under drought, elevated CO2, and warming, plants reduced transpiration, conserving water. Plants treated in this way (but not those with only one manipulated factor) used a larger proportion of recently precipitated water from large pores and with little mixing, showing that future drought will likely fundamentally change how water moves in soil. —Bianca Lopez. 

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