Climate-sensitive disturbances impact ecosystem productivity and carbon uptake. We found that the sensitivity of ecosystem productivity to disturbances differs between regions, with dryland ecosystems becoming more sensitive to water stress after disturbances, whereas wet regions become less sensitive. On average, ecosystem sensitivity requires approximately five years to recover to pre-disturbance levels. This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution Access options Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription $29.99 / 30 days cancel any time Learn more Subscribe to this journal Receive 12 print issues and online access $209.00 per year only $17.42 per issue Learn more Buy this article Purchase on SpringerLink Instant access to full article PDF Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout Additional access options: Log in Learn about institutional subscriptions Read our FAQs Contact customer support References Anderegg, W. R. L. et al. Pervasive drought legacies in forest ecosystems and their implications for carbon cycle models. Science 349 , 528–532 (2015). This paper reports that there are substantial drought legacy effects on tree ring growth after disturbances. Article CAS Google Scholar Liu, M. et al. Climate-driven disturbances amplify forest drought sensitivity. Nat. Clim. Change 14 , 746–752 (2024). This paper reports that forest drought sensitivity increased significantly after disturbances in the conterminous United States. Article CAS Google Scholar Isbell, F. et al. Biodiversity increases the resistance of ecosystem productivity to climate extremes. Nature 526 , 574–577 (2015). This paper reports that high biodiversity increases the resistance of ecosystems to disturbances. Article CAS Google Scholar Dai, A. Increasing drought under global warming in observations and models. Nat. Clim. Change 3 , 52–58 (2013). This paper reports that more droughts are projected in future warming climates. Article Google Scholar Download references […]