Effects of an Extended Drought Period on Grasslands at Various Altitudes in Switzerland: A Field Study

Signarbieux, Constant; Feller, Urs (2008). Effects of an Extended Drought Period on Grasslands at Various Altitudes in Switzerland: A Field Study. In: Allen, John F.; Gantt, Elisabeth; Golbeck, John H.; Osmond, Barry (eds.) Photosynthesis. Energy from the Sun (pp. 1371-1374). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands 10.1007/978-1-4020-6709-9_295

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From recent investigations, it can be concluded that extreme events (e.g. heat waves, extreme drought periods) will become more relevant in Central Europe during the next decades (Schär et al. 2004). The effects of an artificial drought period (installation of rain shelters for 10 weeks) on physiological traits of representative grasslands species was investigated at two altitudes (400 and 1000 m a. s. l.) in Switzerland. The net assimilation rate (Pn) and stomatal conductance (gs) were affected in Phleum pratense and in other gramineae at both altitudes, while these effects were in dicots (Rumex obtusifolius, Trifolium repens) relevant only at the higher altitude. The decline of Pn was parallelled by a decrease of gs , but the intrinsic efficiency of photosystem II was not affected by the treatment. The still high Pn of Rumex in lowland under drought may explain the dominance of this plant at the end of the drought period. Differences in the species composition and differences in reversible and irreversible damages caused by drought in the various species may contribute to the overall response of grasslands in a site-specific manner.

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