Drought-Induced Shifts in Biomass Allocation and Carbon Sequestration in Arid Zone Tree Species

A rapidly growing population demands greater access to food, feed, and shelter, thereby increasing the strain on natural resources. Human activities, such as converting forests into arable land and increasing CO2 emissions, intensify atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Following a significant increase in atmospheric carbon levels, global temperatures have surged, resulting in frequent droughts worldwide. Drought, a protracted episode of unusually low rainfall, has detrimental effects on ecosystems in dry zones. Reduced growth, altered phenology, and higher tree mortality are the results of physiological and ecological changes. This review focuses on shifts in biomass allocation between aboveground (leaves and stems) and belowground (roots) components. It assesses how these drought-induced changes affect overall tree growth, carbon storage capacity, and long-term resilience. This review aims to identify patterns and knowledge gaps to understand how arid zone forests respond to and influence the global carbon cycle under increasing drought conditions in the future.