Summary
This narrative review synthesises emerging knowledge on drought legacies—persistent changes in terrestrial ecosystem structure and functioning that persist after drought subsidence. The authors examine mechanisms operating at species, community and soil scales, and propose hypotheses linking intrinsic biotic/abiotic properties and extrinsic drought characteristics (timing, severity, frequency) to ecosystem resilience under recurrent drought. The work identifies critical gaps in understanding how drought legacies influence ecosystem responses to subsequent drought events.
Regional applicability
The review addresses global drought legacy mechanisms and resilience principles applicable across biogeographic regions, including temperate zones relevant to United Kingdom conditions. However, the synthesis does not specifically examine UK-based empirical data; transferability to UK agricultural and natural ecosystems requires consideration of regional drought frequency, soil types and vegetation communities.
Key measures
Drought legacy duration, carbon cycling processes, community composition changes, soil property alterations, and resilience trajectories under recurrent drought scenarios
Outcomes reported
The study synthesised current knowledge on drought legacies—long-term impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning after drought subsides—and examined underlying mechanisms across multiple ecosystem scales. The authors characterised how drought timing, severity and frequency alter ecosystem resilience trajectories and responses to subsequent drought events.
Topic tags
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