Climatic memory complicates interpretation of the relationship between plant productivity and precipitation. We find that the influence of preceding-year precipitation on plant productivity is comparable to that of current-year precipitation. The lagged precipitation effect varies with aridity and exerts a positive influence in dry regions and a negative influence in wet regions.
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This is a summary of: He, L. et al. Lagged precipitation effects on plant production across terrestrial biomes. Nat. Ecol. Evol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02806-4 (2025).
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Lingering effects of precipitation on plant productivity. Nat Ecol Evol 9, 1767–1768 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02824-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02824-2