Publications by authors named "Lionel Thiery"
Extreme climatic events (ECEs) such as droughts and heat waves are predicted to increase in intensity and frequency and impact the terrestrial carbon balance. However, we lack direct experimental evidence of how the net carbon uptake of ecosystems is affected by ECEs under future elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (eCO2). Taking advantage of an advanced controlled environment facility for ecosystem research (Ecotron), we simulated eCO2 and extreme cooccurring heat and drought events as projected for the 2050s and analyzed their effects on the ecosystem-level carbon and water fluxes in a C3 grassland.
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- Climate extremes significantly affect grassland services like forage production, with this study revealing that drought and temperature stress can severely dehydrate plant communities, leading to high senescence rates.
- During the 3-year research, extreme summer conditions caused an 80% aerial senescence and a 78% decline in biomass, impacting plants differently based on cutting frequency and climate treatments.
- The findings indicate that even after typical conditions returned, the grassland's production capabilities didn't fully recover, highlighting the need for long-term strategies like infrequent mowing to sustain these ecosystems.