Plant response to and recovery from drought

Drought is a pervasive stress limiting plant growth and survival across ecosystems, and its frequency and severity are rising with climate change, threatening global food and ecological security. While major progress has been made in understanding plant responses to water deficits, an integrative framework spanning molecular to ecosystem scales remains incomplete. Moreover, the recovery processes following drought - crucial for long-term performance and ecosystem resilience - are still understudied. Here, we synthesize recent advances in plant responses to drought and rewatering, linking gene regulation, biochemical and physiological responses, plant growth, community dynamics, and ecosystem functions. We highlight the central roles of abscisic acid and other hormonal signals in stomatal regulation, osmotic adjustment, and stress-induced gene expression. At the physiological level, we discuss shifts in photosynthetic capacity and phenology during drought and recovery. We further examine how precipitation variability shapes vegetation productivity via biodiversity, and how soil microbial communities mediate plant-soil feedback that sustains ecosystem functioning. Finally, we assess how warming and elevated CO₂ modify drought impacts and outline key research priorities to integrate multi-scale insights into breeding, management, and conservation strategies for drought-resilient ecosystems.