AUTHOR=Churchill Amber C. , Zhang Haiyang , Fuller Kathryn J. , Amiji Burhan , Anderson Ian C. , Barton Craig V. M. , Carrillo Yolima , Catunda Karen L. M. , Chandregowda Manjunatha H. , Igwenagu Chioma , Jacob Vinod , Kim Gil Won , Macdonald Catriona A. , Medlyn Belinda E. , Moore Ben D. , Pendall Elise , Plett Jonathan M. , Post Alison K. , Powell Jeff R. , Tissue David T. , Tjoelker Mark G. , Power Sally A. 

TITLE=Pastures and Climate Extremes: Impacts of Cool Season Warming and Drought on the Productivity of Key Pasture Species in a Field Experiment

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.836968

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.836968

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Shifts in the timing, intensity and/or frequency of climate extremes, such as severe drought and heatwaves, can generate sustained shifts in ecosystem function with important ecological and economic impacts for rangelands and managed pastures. The Pastures and Climate Extremes experiment (PACE) in Southeast Australia was designed to investigate the impacts of a severe winter/spring drought (60% rainfall reduction) and, for a subset of species, a factorial combination of drought and elevated temperature (ambient +3°C) on pasture productivity. The experiment included nine common pasture and Australian rangeland species from three plant functional groups (C<sub>3</sub> grasses, C<sub>4</sub> grasses and legumes) planted in monoculture. Winter/spring drought resulted in productivity declines of 45% on average and up to 74% for the most affected species (<italic>Digitaria eriantha</italic>) during the 6-month treatment period, with eight of the nine species exhibiting significant yield reductions. Despite considerable variation in species’ sensitivity to drought, C<sub>4</sub> grasses were more strongly affected by this treatment than C<sub>3</sub> grasses or legumes. Warming also had negative effects on cool-season productivity, associated at least partially with exceedance of optimum growth temperatures in spring and indirect effects on soil water content. The combination of winter/spring drought and year-round warming resulted in the greatest yield reductions. We identified responses that were either additive (<italic>Festuca</italic>), or less-than-additive (<italic>Medicago</italic>), where warming reduced the magnitude of drought effects. Results from this study highlight the sensitivity of diverse pasture species to increases in winter and spring drought severity similar to those predicted for this region, and that anticipated benefits of cool-season warming are unlikely to be realized. Overall, the substantial negative impacts on productivity suggest that future, warmer, drier climates will result in shortfalls in cool-season forage availability, with profound implications for the livestock industry and natural grazer communities.</p>