Description

Approximately 26% of the Earth’s total land area and 80% of agricultural land is composed of grasslands. Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area near Kamloops, BC, Canada is temperate grassland that provides recreational and economic opportunities. Due to global climate change, Southern and central British Columbia precipitation patterns are predicted to shift with less precipitation in the summer and more in the winter. Although winters are predicted to become wetter, less precipitation as snowfall could lead to reduced snowpack, which is more likely to melt earlier in the spring. Snow cover provides insulation against cold air, which helps reduce frost stress during the winter and an earlier snowmelt may lead to water shortage in the summer. Changing climate trends may lead to more frequent and intense droughts combined with increased frost stress that can negatively impact plant survival and productivity. However, it is unknown how these stress events interact with each other and if there is a positive or negative relationship. This study looked at the effects of frost stress and drought, as well as the combination of both, on biomass productivity. I found that snow removal increased exposure to more variable and more negative temperatures in the winter. Plots with established rain-out shelters showed a significant decrease in soil moisture content. Above ground biomass did not differ between plots, treatments types or the controls. Although no significant results were found in biomass production, understanding how stress events interact with each other on grassland plant communities will help predict how terrestrial ecosystems will respond in the face of global climate change.