Hu Hongjiao, Liu Xinping, He Yuhui, Feng Jie, Xu Yuanzhi, Jing Jiaqi
Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
J Environ Manage. 2025 Jan;373:123729. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123729. Epub 2024 Dec 17.
The intensification of climate-induced precipitation change poses a dual challenge to terrestrial ecosystems: immediate effects on their structure and function, coupled with legacy effects that persist beyond the cessation of precipitation change. Quantifying these legacy effects accurately can greatly assist in assessing the long-term impact of precipitation change. However, their broader understanding is just beginning. Therefore, this review endeavors to synthesize the existing knowledge concerning the legacy effects of precipitation change, elucidating their nature, characteristics, driving factors, and implications, thereby fostering further advancements in this research domain. To begin, we define that precipitation legacies are carried by the information and/or material remnants arising from previous precipitation change, with the enduring impacts of these remnants (precipitation legacy carriers) on the current ecosystem being termed the precipitation legacy effects. To comprehensively investigate the performances of precipitation legacy effects, we introduce a multi-faceted characterization framework, encompassing magnitude, direction, duration, and spatial-temporal variability. This framework is complemented by a proposed sequential analysis approach, spanning the pre-, during, and post-precipitation change phases. Next, we emphasize that the nature of precipitation legacy carriers and the pattern of precipitation change jointly determine the characteristics of precipitation legacy effect. Subsequently, we elucidate the possible carriers of precipitation legacies across species, community, and ecosystem levels, as well as the linkages among these carriers and levels, thereby introducing the underlying formation mechanism of precipitation legacy effects. Lastly, from the perspective of ecosystem stability debt, we propose potential applications of precipitation legacy effects in future climate change research. The viewpoints and methodologies outlined in this review can deepen our comprehension of precipitation legacy effects, contributing to the comprehensive assessment of precipitation impact on soil-vegetation systems and providing guidance for formulating effective strategies to address future climate change.
气候引发的降水变化加剧，给陆地生态系统带来了双重挑战：对其结构和功能产生直接影响，同时伴随着降水变化停止后依然持续的遗留效应。准确量化这些遗留效应，能够极大地助力评估降水变化的长期影响。然而，我们对它们的全面理解才刚刚起步。因此，本综述致力于综合有关降水变化遗留效应的现有知识，阐明其本质、特征、驱动因素及影响，从而推动该研究领域取得进一步进展。首先，我们定义降水遗留是由先前降水变化产生的信息和/或物质残余所携带的，这些残余（降水遗留载体）对当前生态系统的持久影响被称为降水遗留效应。为全面研究降水遗留效应的表现，我们引入了一个多方面的表征框架，包括幅度、方向、持续时间和时空变异性。这个框架辅以一种提议的顺序分析方法，涵盖降水变化前、期间和之后的阶段。接下来，我们强调降水遗留载体的性质和降水变化模式共同决定了降水遗留效应的特征。随后，我们阐明了跨物种、群落和生态系统层面降水遗留的可能载体，以及这些载体与层面之间的联系，从而介绍了降水遗留效应的潜在形成机制。最后，从生态系统稳定性债务的角度，我们提出了降水遗留效应在未来气候变化研究中的潜在应用。本综述中概述的观点和方法能够加深我们对降水遗留效应的理解，有助于全面评估降水对土壤 - 植被系统的影响，并为制定应对未来气候变化的有效策略提供指导。
