Extreme drought can cause widespread diebacks of even drought-tolerant native plants

Our study examines how the extreme 2022 drought in Hungarian sandy grasslands caused widespread dieback of dominant perennial grasses, and evaluates how environmental factors such as nearby woody vegetation and microtopography influence survival and recovery. We found that woody cover provides a strong sheltering effect that significantly reduces grass mortality, while terrain features like slope, aspect, and topographic position shape regeneration patterns. The drought-driven disturbance also has important ecological consequences, as weakened native vegetation and changing conditions may increase the vulnerability of these ecosystems to the spread of invasive species. Link to the full article is available below.