US desert grassland collapse is linked to changes in the Pacific Ocean

For a lot of the twentieth century, growth and bust cycles of desert grasses within the US Southwest had been linked to long-term cycles of temperature within the Pacific Ocean. That hyperlink now seems to have been damaged, presumably as a result of local weather change. This might complicate efforts to revive grasslands that assist biodiversity and grazing livestock.

The Chihuahuan desert extends from the US Southwest into Mexico over greater than 500,000 sq. kilometres. It accommodates a few of the most biodiverse grasslands on …