Making it (not) rain: Experimental droughts in dryland ecosystems

Rising temperatures and changing rainfall will increase the frequency and magnitude of droughts in dryland ecosystems. Understanding how such changes in water availability impact ecological processes in drylands is essential for predicting their future. Much of what we know today about how droughts affect drylands is from rainfall manipulation experiments that alter natural precipitation. Here I will discuss how we have been imposing drought, highlight gaps in our knowledge, and make some suggestions for future rainfall manipulation experiments.