Dominant species determine drought effects on grassland multifunctionality

Abstract Extreme drought often diminishes ecosystem multifunctionality in grasslands, but the potential mechanisms behind these responses are conflicting. The diversity hypothesis posits that diverse species promote grassland multifunctionality through compensatory interactions, while the mass ratio hypothesis suggests that the traits of dominant species control multifunctionality. It remains unknown whether either or both underpin multifunctionality responses to extreme drought. Here, we experi