Grassland diversity and climate change

Between 2000 and 2018, researchers documented the evolution of grassland plant communities in the University of California McLaughlin Reserve and found that during growing seasons that were drier than normal, communities lost several species, especially species with drought-intolerant traits, and the decline was strongest in native forbs with high specific leaf area, suggesting that drought induced by climate change in water-limited regions may erode diversity in plant communities.

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Article #19-12247: “Climate drives loss of phylogenetic diversity in a grassland community,” by Daijiang Li, Jesse E. D. Miller, and Susan Harrison.

MEDIA CONTACT: Susan Harrison, University of California, Davis, CA; tel: 530-902-1686; email:

[email protected]