Grasses Are Spendthrifts, Forests Are Budgeters

We’re thrilled to share new research from the lab that just came out in Nature Ecology & Evolution!

Bryn Morgan, now a postdoctoral fellow at MIT, led this study analyzing a global dataset of soil moisture levels to understand how different vegetation types manage water stress. The findings are fascinating: grasslands act like spendthrifts, using water aggressively until it’s gone, while forests are more like careful budgeters, cutting back early to avoid disaster.

“If water is the currency of vegetated ecosystems, grasses are out here like, ‘YOLO,’” Bryn explained, “while trees are investing for retirement. They’re playing the long game.”

Co-author Ryoko Araki developed the nonlinear model that made this analysis possible. The research was supported by a grant from the Zegar Family Foundation.

Congratulations to Bryn and Ryoko on this fantastic work!

Read the full story at UCSB Current →