The article highlights groundbreaking research conducted by Colorado State University and Cornell University that demonstrates how solar arrays can aid grasslands during drought. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, reveals that photovoltaic (PV) arrays located in grassland ecosystems can reduce water stress, improve soil moisture levels, and increase plant growth by up to 20% or more compared to open fields.

Researchers found that plants beneath and around the solar systems benefited from partial shading and additional water that collects on panels. During a dry year, grass growth on the east side of panels was significantly higher than in neighboring open sites. This positive response was reduced during wet and normal years but still demonstrated the potential benefits of co-locating solar power infrastructure with ecosystem preservation.

The study’s lead author, Matthew Sturchio, emphasizes that small changes in array design, configuration, and management could unlock untapped benefits, particularly those related to water use. The researchers are now exploring ways to optimize solar array placement and design to maximize the benefits for grassland ecosystems.

Alan Knapp, a University Distinguished Professor at CSU, notes that their research has significant implications for restoring grassland ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions. He suggests that building solar facilities in areas where they can benefit from strategic placement is an obvious win-win. The team plans to investigate the functional underpinnings of this idea at a newly constructed research facility.

This pioneering study showcases the potential for solar arrays to support grassland conservation, especially during drought-prone seasons. As researchers continue to explore and refine this concept, it may provide valuable insights into creating more resilient and sustainable ecosystems for generations to come.

The article reveals a groundbreaking study that shows grasslands can withstand short-term periods of extreme drought when supplemented with essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This finding has significant implications for agriculture and food systems in a world facing climate stressors.

According to Amber Churchill, an assistant professor of ecosystem science at Binghamton University and co-author on the study, “Resources such as nutrients and water have been fundamentally altered by humans on a global scale, and this can disrupt how plants grow.” The researchers conducted field experiments at 26 sites across 9 countries, testing the impact of extreme drought and increased nutrient availability on grasslands.

The results showed that while drought alone reduced plant growth by 19%, adding fertilizer increased plant growth by 24%. Importantly, the combination of the two resulted in no net change in growth, largely driven by grasses that were able to take advantage of the added nutrients even under drought.

Churchill emphasizes that this is not a feasible long-term solution, as it would be expensive and may create other problems. Instead, she suggests that management strategies like promoting plant diversity could be more effective in helping grasslands survive drought.

The study’s findings have significant implications for agriculture, food systems, and the environment. It highlights the importance of considering climate change when developing management strategies for ecosystems, and the need for innovative solutions to help grasslands and other ecosystems adapt to a changing climate.

Overall, this research demonstrates the potential power of fertilizer in helping grasslands cope with short-term droughts, but also emphasizes the need for more sustainable and long-term solutions to address the challenges posed by climate change.

The article has been rewritten to improve clarity, structure, and style, making it understandable to a general audience:

Amazon Rainforest May Survive Long-Term Drought but at a High Cost

A recent study suggests that the Amazon rainforest could survive long-term droughts caused by climate change. However, this resilience would come at a significant cost, with some parts of the forest losing many of its largest trees and releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.

The researchers conducted a 22-year experiment in north-eastern Brazil’s Amazonian rainforest. They created an artificial drought by redirecting half of the rainfall away from a one-hectare area using thousands of transparent panels. This led to widespread tree deaths, with most of the largest trees dying within the first 15 years.

The study found that after the initial biomass losses, the surviving trees became less stressed and started making slight carbon gains. However, the forest still lost more than one-third of its total biomass, which is a significant amount of stored carbon.

The findings indicate that while some rainforests may be able to survive prolonged droughts, their ability to act as both a vital carbon store and carbon sink could be greatly diminished. This has significant implications for our understanding of the Amazon’s resilience to climate change.

Further research is needed to assess other potential impacts, such as changes in moisture levels, temperature, and storms or fires caused by climate-related factors.

The study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, was carried out by a team led by Professors Patrick Meir from the University of Edinburgh and Antonio Carlos Lôla Da Costa from the Universidade Federal do Pará and the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Brazil. The research was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Royal Society, and the UK Met Office Newton Fund.

Lead author Dr Pablo Sanchez Martinez said: “Our findings suggest that while some rainforests may be able to survive prolonged droughts brought on by climate change, their capacity to act as both a vital carbon store and carbon sink could be greatly diminished.”

Professor Patrick Meir added: “Ecological responses to climate can have very large impacts on our environment, locally and globally; we cannot understand and predict them without long-term collaborative research of this sort.”