A functional trait perspective on restored temperate grassland responses to changing winter insulation and managed disturbance by fire

The minimal effects of winter snow manipulations, combined with the community's shift toward stress-tolerant strategies when winter soil insulation was low, suggest that grasslands may be resilient to winter snow loss in the short term. However, limited colonization by species that are not stress tolerant could drive local extinctions over time. Management strategies that support colonization and retain soil insulation, such as spring burns that maintain disturbance while preserving insulating litter, may help prevent longer-term impacts.