Aridity modulates grassland biomass responses to combined drought and nutrient addition

V F Bondaruk^#^{1

2

3}, C Xu^#^{4

5}, P Wilfahrt⁶, L Yahdjian^{1

2}, Q Yu^{7

8}, E T Borer⁶, A Jentsch³, E W Seabloom⁶, M D Smith⁹, J Alberti¹⁰, G R Oñatibia^{1

2}, H Dieguez¹¹, M Carbognani¹², A Kübert^{13

14}, S A Power¹⁵, N Eisenhauer^{16

17}, F Isbell⁶, H Auge^{16

18}, M H Chandregowda¹⁵, A C Churchill^{6

19}, P Daleo¹⁰, T Forte¹², A C Greenville^{20

21}, S E Koerner²², T Ohlert⁹, P Peri²³, A Petraglia¹², D Salesa²⁴, M Tedder²⁵, A Valdecantos²⁶, E Verhoeven²¹, G M Wardle^{20

21}, C Werner¹³, G R Wheeler^{27

28}, H An²⁹, L Biancari^{1

2}, H J Diao³⁰, J Gutknecht³¹, L B Han³², Y G Ke^{4

33}, J L Liu³⁴, Y Maziko²⁵, D S Tian³⁵, D Tissue¹⁵, S Wanke³, C Z Wei^{36

37}, K Wilkins^{9

38}, H H Wu^{4

5}, A L Young²², F W Zhang³⁹, B Zhang⁴⁰, J T Zhu⁴¹, N Zong⁴¹, X A Zuo⁴², Y Hautier⁴³

Affiliations

¹ Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
² Facultad de Agronomía, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, Cátedra de Ecología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
³ Disturbance Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arable Land in China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Arable Land Quality Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁶ Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
⁷ School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China. yuq@bjfu.edu.cn.
⁸ State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China. yuq@bjfu.edu.cn.
⁹ Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
¹⁰ Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMDP - CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
¹¹ Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
¹² Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
¹³ Ecosystem Physiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
¹⁴ Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research / Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
¹⁵ Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁶ German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
¹⁷ Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
¹⁸ Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany.
¹⁹ Environmental Studies Program, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA.
²⁰ Data Analytics for Resources and Environments (DARE), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²¹ Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²² Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
²³ Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral (UNPA), CONICET, Rio Gallegos, Argentina.
²⁴ Fundación de la Comunidad Valenciana, Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo (CEAM), Paterna, Spain.
²⁵ Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
²⁶ Departamento de Ecología, Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio Ramón Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
²⁷ School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
²⁸ Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA.
²⁹ School of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China.
³⁰ College of Grassland Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China.
³¹ Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
³² School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
³³ Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
³⁴ Department of Herbage Breeding, Prataculture Research Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
³⁵ Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³⁶ State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³⁷ School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.
³⁸ Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Denver, CO, USA.
³⁹ Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.
⁴⁰ Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China.
⁴¹ Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁴² Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.
⁴³ Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 40389741
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-025-02705-8

Aridity modulates grassland biomass responses to combined drought and nutrient addition

V F Bondaruk et al. Nat Ecol Evol. 2025 Jun.

. 2025 Jun;9(6):937-946.

doi: 10.1038/s41559-025-02705-8. Epub 2025 May 19.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
² Facultad de Agronomía, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambiente, Cátedra de Ecología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
³ Disturbance Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arable Land in China, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Arable Land Quality Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁶ Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
⁷ School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China. yuq@bjfu.edu.cn.
⁸ State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China. yuq@bjfu.edu.cn.
⁹ Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
¹⁰ Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMDP - CONICET, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
¹¹ Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
¹² Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
¹³ Ecosystem Physiology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
¹⁴ Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research / Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
¹⁵ Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁶ German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
¹⁷ Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
¹⁸ Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany.
¹⁹ Environmental Studies Program, Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA.
²⁰ Data Analytics for Resources and Environments (DARE), The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²¹ Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
²² Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA.
²³ Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral (UNPA), CONICET, Rio Gallegos, Argentina.
²⁴ Fundación de la Comunidad Valenciana, Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo (CEAM), Paterna, Spain.
²⁵ Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
²⁶ Departamento de Ecología, Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio Ramón Margalef, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
²⁷ School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
²⁸ Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA.
²⁹ School of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China.
³⁰ College of Grassland Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, China.
³¹ Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA.
³² School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
³³ Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.
³⁴ Department of Herbage Breeding, Prataculture Research Institute, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China.
³⁵ Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³⁶ State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
³⁷ School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.
³⁸ Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, Denver, CO, USA.
³⁹ Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China.
⁴⁰ Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China.
⁴¹ Lhasa Plateau Ecosystem Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁴² Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Urat Desert-grassland Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China.
⁴³ Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 40389741
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-025-02705-8

Abstract

Plant biomass tends to increase under nutrient addition and decrease under drought. Biotic and abiotic factors influence responses to both, making the combined impact of nutrient addition and drought difficult to predict. Using a globally distributed network of manipulative field experiments, we assessed grassland aboveground biomass response to both drought and increased nutrient availability at 26 sites across nine countries. Overall, drought reduced biomass by 19% and nutrient addition increased it by 24%, resulting in no net impact under combined drought and nutrient addition. Among the plant functional groups, only graminoids responded positively to nutrients during drought. However, these general responses depended on local conditions, especially aridity. Nutrient effects were stronger in arid grasslands and weaker in humid regions and nitrogen-rich soils, although nutrient addition alleviated drought effects the most in subhumid sites. Biomass responses were weaker with higher precipitation variability. Biomass increased more with increased nutrient availability and declined more with drought at high-diversity sites than at low-diversity sites. Our findings highlight the importance of local abiotic and biotic conditions in predicting grassland responses to anthropogenic nutrient and climate changes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

References

1. Naumann, G. et al. Global changes in drought conditions under different levels of warming. Geophys. Res. Lett. 45, 3285–3296 (2018). - DOI
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1. DeMalach, N., Zaady, E. & Kadmon, R. Contrasting effects of water and nutrient additions on grassland communities: a global meta‐analysis. Glob. Ecol. Biogeogr. 26, 983–992 (2017). - DOI
1. Yahdjian, L., Gherardi, L. & Sala, O. E. Nitrogen limitation in arid-subhumid ecosystems: a meta-analysis of fertilization studies. J. Arid. Environ. 75, 675–680 (2011). - DOI
1. Knapp, AlanK. et al. Pushing precipitation to the extremes in distributed experiments: recommendations for simulating wet and dry years. Glob. Chang. Biol. 23, 1774–1782 (2017).

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Aridity modulates grassland biomass responses to combined drought and nutrient addition

Affiliations

Aridity modulates grassland biomass responses to combined drought and nutrient addition

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Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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