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Updated: Mar 24, 2026

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
Published on: March 21, 2025
Ecosystem vertical structural complexity and soil nutrition synergistically enhance extreme drought resistance via
1Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Intelligent Monitoring and Protection, School of Life Science and Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710012, China; Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, China; National Observation and Research Station of Regional Ecological Environment Change and Comprehensive Management in the Guanzhong Plain, Xi'an, 710061, China.
Abstract:
Extreme droughts threaten ecosystem functions, stability, and health. Understanding the key regulatory mechanisms of ecosystem resistance to such droughts is crucial for safeguarding ecological health and optimizing resource management. Previous studies focused on horizontal-scale biodiversity's impact on drought resistance, with little attention to vertical structural complexity. Taking the 2022 summer extreme drought in the Yangtze River Basin (YZRB) as a case, we evaluated drought resistance and underlying regulatory mechanisms across ecosystems with different vertical structural diversity. We used a set of indicators including vegetation indices, foliage height diversity (vertical structural complexity), water use efficiency (WUE), and soil nutrient indices. Results showed 76.46% of the basin was affected, with 30.36% experiencing the most severe drought. Three vegetation indices exhibited similar spatial response patterns, declining by 5.20-6.77% in 2022 (vs. 2021) in drought-affected areas. The basin's median resistance was approximately 32.18, peaking in the severely affected middle and lower reaches. Forests showed the highest resistance, with significant differences among ecosystem types. Vertical structural complexity correlated positively with resistance (p < 0.05) and strongly with WUE (p < 0.01), indicating it enhances WUE. Random forest and structural equation models further revealed vertical structural complexity improves drought resistance mainly by positively regulating WUE. Soil nutrients directly and indirectly (via vertical structure and WUE) regulate resistance. This highlights the need to incorporate vertical structural complexity alongside horizontal biodiversity in assessing ecosystem stability under climate extremes. Overall, our study advances understanding of ecosystem drought response mechanisms via vertical structural complexity, WUE, and soil nutrition, supporting regional ecological health maintenance and management.
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