Theory 66/Field programme/Drought manipulation
Drought Legacies Last Years
The claim
Drought legacies in ecosystems persist for years after the event, set by the ratio of recovery rate to the frequency of recurrence.
01Mechanism
Recovery is slow relative to recurrence in many systems, so damage accumulates.
02Prediction
Legacy duration should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Full recovery within a season would remove the legacy.