El Nino effects on the dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems

New studies are showing that the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has ma jor implications for the functioning of different ecosystems, ranging from deserts to tropical rain forests. ENSO-induced pulses of enhanced plant pro ductivity can cascade upward through the food web invoking unforeseen feedb acks, and can cause open dryland ecosystems to shift to permanent woodlands . These insights suggest that the predicted change in extreme climatic even ts resulting from global warming could profoundly alter biodiversity and ec osystem functioning in many regions of the world. Our increasing ability to predict El Nino effects can be used to enhance management strategies for t he restoration of degraded ecosystems.