A drought of a severe nature in a forest ecosystem may cause a great effect on plant and animal species, causing significant changes to the food web.

Effect on Plants

Growth and Productivity: Drought stress slows down the growth rates of plants, results in smaller leaf sizes, and reduced photosynthesis. This affects their ability to produce biomass- the base of the food web that is made up of leaves, stems, fruits.

-Increased Death: Severe drought can cause a significant increase in tree deaths, especially the drought-sensitive tree species. The loss of vegetation decreases the overall plant biomass as well as shifts the forest’s structure.

Change in Species Population: Drought-resistant species would thrive while susceptible species decline in population, thus changing the plant community composition with time. Eventually, this change will alter the structure and the function of the ecosystem.

Nevertheless, seed production can be significantly reduced in many plant species due to drought, affecting recruitment of new individuals and long-term population dynamics.

Effects to Animals:

food scarcity: Herbivores are also directly affected by reduced growth and productivity of plants, thus leading to food shortages and greater competition for available resources.

Habitat Loss : Tree death, in turn, results in habitat loss for many species of animals that might be dependent on the death tree for food, shelter or as a nesting area.

Changes in Animal Behavior: Drought-stressed food is likely to change foraging patterns for animals that will respond to scarcity by changing breeding habits, some by moving to other locations.

Increased Susceptibility to Predation: Drought-stressed animals may become susceptible to predators.

Changes in the Food Web:

Decreases in Herbivorous Populations: Decreases in herbivorous populations may indicate reduced plant biomass and have direct implications for their predators, which feed on herbivores.

Changes in Predator-Prey Interactions: Changes in herbivorous populations may indicate changes in predator-prey relationships that may translate to population declines for some species of predators while increasing for others.

Cascading Effects: Such changes at the lower trophic levels, like plants and herbivores, may cascade into effects throughout the food web to higher-level predators, scavengers, and decomposers.

Increased Competition: Reduced resources can increase competition between species at all trophic levels.