Articles | Volume 22, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6153-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-6153-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
28 Oct 2025
Research article |
| 28 Oct 2025
| 28 Oct 2025
Savanna ecosystem structure and productivity along a rainfall gradient: the role of competition and stress tolerance mediated by plant functional traits
Prashant Paudel
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Stefan Olin
Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Mark Tjoelker
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
Mikael Pontarp
Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Daniel Metcalfe
Department of Ecology and Environment Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
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Short summary
Ecological processes respond to changes in rainfall conditions. Competition and stress created by water availability are two primary components at two ends of the rainfall gradient. In wetter areas, plants compete for resources, while in drier regions, stress limits growth. The complex interaction between plant characters and their response to growth conditions governs ecosystem processes. These findings can be used to understand how future rainfall changes could impact ecosystems.
Ecological processes respond to changes in rainfall conditions. Competition and stress created...
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