Individual Versus Combined Effects of Warming, Elevated CO₂ and Drought on Grassland Water Uptake and Fine Root...

Increasing warming, atmospheric CO₂ and drought are expected to change the water dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, limited knowledge exists about how the interactive effects of these factors will affect grassland water uptake, and whether adaptations in fine root production and traits will alter water uptake capacity. In a managed C₃ grassland, we tested the individual and combined effects of warming (+3°C), elevated CO₂ (eCO₂; +300 ppm) and drought on root water uptake (RWU) as well as on fine root production, trait adaptation, and fine root-to-shoot production ratios, and their relationships with RWU capacity. High temperatures, amplified by warming, exacerbated RWU reductions under drought, with negligible water-sparing effects from eCO₂. Drought, both under current and future (warming, eCO₂) climatic conditions, shifted RWU towards deeper soil layers. Overall, RWU capacity related positively to fine root production and specific root length (SRL), and negatively to mean root diameters. Warming effects on traits (reduced SRL, increased diameter) and the ratio of fine root-to-shoot production (increased) were offset by eCO₂. We conclude that under warmer future conditions, irrespective of shifts in water sourcing, it is particularly hot droughts that will lead to increasingly severe restrictions of grassland water dynamics.