Can drought also benefit biodiversity? |
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FLORON investigates how dry summers and mild winters are changing vegetation
Dry and hot summers are bad news for many plants. Yet drought can locally also create opportunities for other species. When dominant grasses disappear, bare patches emerge where annual plants and herbs can benefit. FLORON wants to investigate in the coming years how lasting this effect is.
| A herb-rich roadside verge |
Climate change affects roadside verges, grasslands and other public green spaces in various ways. Mild winters give fast-growing, nitrogen-loving plants more time to continue growing. Grasses in particular can benefit from this and push out other species.
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Where grasses disappear, other species can temporarily gain space
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Drought creates temporary opportunities
A dry and hot summer can have the opposite effect. Grasses can weaken or die off due to prolonged drought. Annual and short-lived species then get a chance in the open spaces that emerge. Deep-rooted herbs can also benefit during dry periods because they are better able to access water in deeper soil layers.
According to FLORON, there are indications that this is actually happening. In Drenthe, several short-lived species of dry grasslands are increasing. After previous dry summers, a clear national increase in common stork's-bill was also observed.
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It is not yet clear whether the increased species richness after a dry summer will be permanent
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Still many questions about lasting effects
It is therefore not yet clear whether drought ultimately benefits biodiversity. Grasses may later reclaim the open spaces. Invasive alien species may also take advantage of the opportunities created. In addition, some rare herbs are poorly adapted to prolonged drought.
For green space managers, the key question is what happens in the longer term. The interaction between mild winters, dry summers and management practices can have different effects depending on the area. FLORON therefore wants to continue researching in the coming years how these changes affect vegetation composition.
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For green space managers, it will be especially interesting to see which species eventually occupy the open spaces
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Want to explore this topic further?
 | | The recent mild winters provide plenty of opportunities for fast-growing, nitrogen-loving perennial plants to expand. This is an effect of climate change on vegetation that is particularly striking in this case. You can read more about it in the dissertation by Wiene Bakker.
| | | The book 'The flora of Drenthe in motion' by FLORON describes how many short-lived species are increasing in Drenthe. It also shows that after the previous dry summer, there was a significant national increase in annual common stork's-bill.
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This article was previously published on 18 September 2026 on the website of Stad + Groen.
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