What are some of their findings?

Compared to Coal Oil Point, Sedgwick has sandier, loamier soil that is not particularly effective at retaining moisture. In all three scenarios, a loss of spring rain was predicted to have a larger effect on the greening of grasslands at Sedgwick than the grassland at Coal Oil Point. For Sedgwick's soils, spring rain is important at a time when plant development is about to start and seeds are germinating. At the Coal Oil Point grassland, redistributing the rain over a shorter rainy season would mitigate the effects of no spring rain into the summer, as the plants are able to access the retained moisture. While this information does not bode well for Sedgwick, the researchers point out that these soil retention differences also mean that in most scenarios, drainage can occur and Sedgwick's groundwater can be recharged, even in extreme drought.

The researchers conclude:
"Our findings suggest that arid sites such as our inland site [Sedgwick] with low water-holding capacities, which is widespread over the region and more broadly over the south- west and other Mediterranean climate systems, would become increasingly vulnerable to climate change that favors milder winter and hotter summer temperatures, as well as decreased precipitation in key months during spring."