Geo Map from Scientific Research

Predicted changes in global critical soil moisture thresholds (Δ θ crit ) in response to changes in VPD from current (2005–2014) to future (2060–2069) climate (SSP2-4.5 scenario). The four rectangles highlight regions where we expect the highest amplification of ecosystem vulnerability to drought due to increasing VPD. These regions will experience an increase in atmospheric drying, but show limited buffer capacity (small Δ θ crit ) due to the coarseness of their soil texture. Hyperarid deserts (dark grey, aridity index (AI) ≤ 0.05) were excluded. In humid regions (dotted area, AI > 1), where ecosystems are unlikely to be water limited, the impact of Δ θ crit is likely to be negligible.

DOI