00637nas a2200145   4500008004100000245006600041210006500107260007800172300001300250100001800263700001500281700001500296700001500311856016500326       2019                        eng d00aWill climate change push grasslands past critical thresholds?0 aWill climate change push grasslands past critical thresholds  aCambridge, UK.bBritish Ecological Society and Cambridge University Press  a98 - 1141 aRatajczak, Z.1 aLadwig, L.1 aGibson, D.1 aNewman, J.  uhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/books/grasslands-and-climate-change/will-climate-change-push-grasslands-past-critical-thresholds/368C9316D9C5A8A3C6B6881779BA5EB501717nas a2200145   4500008004100000245008900041210006900130300001300199490000700212520121200219100001801431700002301449700002401472856007501496       2012                        eng d00aWoody encroachment decreases diversity across North American grasslands and savannas0 aWoody encroachment decreases diversity across North American gra  a697 -7030 v933 a<p>Woody encroachment is a widespread and acute phenomenon affecting grasslands and savannas worldwide. We performed a meta-analysis of 29 studies from 13 different grassland/savanna communities in North America to determine the consequences of woody encroachment on plant species richness. In all 13 communities, species richness declined with woody plant encroachment (average decline = 45%). Species richness declined more in communities with higher precipitation (r2 = 0.81) and where encroachment was associated with a greater change in annual net primary productivity (ANPP; r2 = 0.69). Based on the strong positive correlation between precipitation and ANPP following encroachment (r2 = 0.87), we hypothesize that these relationships occur because water-limited woody plants experience a greater physiological and demographic release as precipitation increases. The observed relationship between species richness and ANPP provides support for the theoretical expectation that a trade-off occurs between richness and productivity in herbaceous communities. We conclude that woody plant encroachment leads to significant declines in species richness in North American grassland/savanna communities.</p>1 aRatajczak, Z.1 aNippert, Jesse, B.1 aCollins, Scott., L.  uhttps://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1890/11-1199.1