Climate change and primary production: Forty years in a bunchgrass prairie

Vegetation. Environmental trends (precipitation, temperature, nitrogen) were compared with vegetation trends. ANPP. Increasing ANPP over our study was unexpected, because typically employed precip- itation and temperature trends (annual, Water Year and water recharge period) along with the absence of an increase in annual nitrogen availability suggest decreasing ANPP. Considering that the majority (>88%) of ANPP occurred in late-May–June (the growing season), again the spring seasonal precipitation declined and temperature and cool season nitrogen remained unchanged. However, within the spring season, precipitation increased and temperature remained unchanged Fig 6. NBR plant species characteristics based on the USDA plant database and point frame incidence since 1997 at two sites. a) annual trends in average plant drought resistance; b) annual trends in average plant fire tolerance; and c) annual trends in invasive plant incidence, in total and annual brome grasses. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243496.g006 PLOS ONE Bunchgrass prairie and climate change PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0243496 December 23, 2020 11 / 21