Altered leaf elemental composition with climate change is linked to reductions in photosynthesis, growth and survival in a semiarid shrubland

Climate change will increase heat and drought stress in many dryland areas, which could reduce soil nutrient availability for plants and aggravate nutrient limitation of primary productivity. Any negative impacts of climate change on foliar nutrient contents would be expected to negatively affect the photosynthetic capacity, water use efficiency and overall fitness of dryland vegetation.
We conducted a four-year manipulative experiment using open top chambers and rainout shelters to assess the impacts of warming (~2ºC, W), rainfall reduction (~30%, RR) and their combination (W+RR) on the nutrient status and ecophysiological performance of six native shrub species of contrasting phylogeny in a semiarid ecosystem. Leaf nutrient status and gas exchange were assessed yearly, whereas biomass production and survival were measured at the end of the study.
Warming (W and W+RR) advanced shoot growth phenology and reduced foliar macro- (N, P, K) and micronutrient (Cu, Fe, Zn) concentrations (by...