Author
VICCA, S - University Of Antwerp | |
GILGEN, A - Eth Zurich | |
CAMINO SERRANO, M - University Of Bern | |
DREESEN, F - University Of Antwerp | |
DUKES, J - Purdue University | |
ESTIARTE, M - Autonomous University Of Barcelona | |
GRAY, S - University Of Illinois | |
GUIDOLOTTI, G - University Of Tuscia | |
LEAKEY, A D B - University Of Illinois | |
OGAYA, R - Autonomous University Of Barcelona | |
Ort, Donald | |
OSTROGOVIC, M - Croation Forest Research Institute | |
RAMBAL, S - National Center For Scientific Research | |
SARDANS, J - Autonomous University Of Barcelona | |
SCHMITT, M - University Of Innsbruck | |
SIEBERS, M - University Of Illinois | |
VAN DER LINDEN, L - Australian Water Quality Centre | |
VAN STRAATEN, O - Goettingen University | |
GRANIER, A - Nancy-Universite |
Submitted to: New Phytologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2012 Publication Date: 6/27/2012 Citation: Vicca, S., Gilgen, A.K., Camino Serrano, M., Dreesen, F.E., Dukes, J.S., Estiarte, M., Gray, S.B., Guidolotti, G., Leakey, A., Ogaya, R., Ort, D.R., Ostrogovic, M., Rambal, S., Sardans, J., Schmitt, M., Siebers, M., Van Der Linden, L., Van Straaten, O., Granier, A. 2012. Urgent need for basic treatment data to make precipitation manipulation experiments comparable. New Phytologist. 195(3):518:522. Interpretive Summary: Effects of climatic change on ecosystem functioning have been an important research topic during the past decades. Effects of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations and increasing temperatures are being intensively studied and synthesized. Consequences of altered precipitation patterns, in contrast, have received far less attention. Results of water manipulation experiments were only recently synthesized for the first time, and the conclusions that can be drawn regarding global patterns remain preliminary. In general, reductions in water inputs slow ecosystem processes, while increased rainfall enhances plant productivity, but it remains unclear how this response differs among ecosystems. Technical Abstract: Differences in ecosystem process responses between experiments imposing the same manipulation remain attributable to differences in the perceived magnitude of the treatment as well as to differences in biological factors. Conversely, similar responses across sites could either indicate similar process responses and perceived water stress, or offsetting differences in ecosystem process responses and perceived stress. Despite these problems, available data dictate that cross-site analyses focus on precipitation differences at this time. Analyses based on precipitation data are useful in that they are easily compared with model results. However, because of the reasons highlighted above, it is important to recognize that extrapolations are highly uncertain. |