Soil texture mediates tree responses to rainfall intensity in African savannas

• DOI: 10.1111/nph.15254
• Publication Date: 2018-06-04T08:24:48Z
• Authors: Madelon F. Case; A. Carla Staver
• Keywords: Soil texture; Growing season

Rainfall variability is a major determinant of soil moisture, but its influence on vegetation structure has been challenging to generalize. This presents source uncertainty in predicting responses potentially widespread shifts rainfall frequency and intensity. In savannas, where trees grasses coexist, conflicting lines evidence have suggested, variously, that tree cover can either increase or decrease response less frequent, more intense rainfall. Here, we use remote sensing products continent-wide maps for sub-Saharan Africa analyze how texture fire mediate the savanna climatology. Tree increased with mean wet-season decreased frequency, consistent previous analyses. However, intensity varied: dramatically clayey soils, at high rainfall, spread over longer wet seasons; conversely, sandy low shorter seasons, instead climatology depend texture, accounting substantial variation across African savannas. Differences underlying soils may lead divergent savannas global change.