For years, scientists assumed that changes in drought intensity had gradual impacts on grassland, with the vegetation adapting to the reduced availability of water over time. However, a recent study on China's temperate grasslands shows that the effect of drought is much harsher. Studies show that until drought exceeds a certain limit, the ecosystems will be rather stable, but when the limit is reached, the slow-growing perennials will be replaced by fast-growing annual plants. The results are a challenge to the conventional understanding of the reaction of the ecosystems to climate change, raising concerns over whether they were closer to a state of transformation than people initially supposed. With the increase in the Earth's temperature and frequency of droughts, the new findings highlight the rapid response of nature to the adverse effects of climate.
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