2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference

March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH

5/23/2018 | 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM | DROUGHT INTENSIFICATION TRANSFORMS MULTIPLE ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES | 410 A

DROUGHT INTENSIFICATION TRANSFORMS MULTIPLE ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES

Droughts are intensifying globally, with potentially profound implications for the functioning of freshwater ecosystems. In the first characterisation of multiple dimensions of ecosystem functioning (multifunctionality) in a large-scale field experiment we found strong – but non-linear – impacts across a drought intensity gradient in stream mesocosms. Individual functions varied, but sudden changes were common, especially at the boundaries of three critical drought transitions associated with habitat contraction, fragmentation and drying. Several functions (e.g. gross primary production) were surprisingly sensitive to low-intensity drought, declining strongly in response to reduced water level. Drought altered the carbon cycle, associated food web processes, including those linking basal producers to top predators, and nutrient stocks. We demonstrate that even relatively small changes in habitat during drought can trigger dramatic changes in functioning. Consequently, future drought intensification can be expected to have far-reaching consequences for aquatic ecosystem service provision in freshwater habitats.

Drying
Ecosystem
Mesocosm

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Presenters/Authors

Mark Ledger (), University of Birmingham, m.e.ledger@bham.ac.uk;