Water Relations Only Partly Explain the Distributions of Three Perennial Plant Species in a Semi-arid Environment |
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Authors: | F Domingo AJ Brenner L Gutiérrez SC Clark LD Incoll C Aguilera |
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Institution: | (1) Estación Experimental de Zonas áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-04001 Almería, Spain;(2) Pacific Meridian Resources, Michigan Office, 483 Little Lake Drive, #300, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA;(3) School of Biology, University of Leeds, LS29JT Leeds, UK;(4) Departamento de Biología Vegetal, Universidad de Almería, E-04120 Almería, Spain |
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Abstract: | The water relations and stomatal conductances of three perennial plant species, Stipa tenacissima L., Anthyllis cytisoides L., and Retama sphaerocarpa (L.) Boiss., dominant on the upper slopes, mid-slopes and floor of a valley, respectively, in semi-arid south-east Spain,
were investigated to test the hypothesis that differences in plant-soil water relations could account for the different distributions
of each species in the catena. Diurnal measurements of water potential (Ψw), relative water content (RWC) and stomatal conductance (gs) of leaves were made over one year. Leaf temperature, air humidity, wind-speed and incident quantum flux density were measured
concurrently. Soil water content was determined gravimetrically at 0 – 5 cm and 15 – 20 cm depths. Measurements of Ψw, RWC and gs were analysed according to meteorological conditions, based on the maxima for daily air temperature and atmospheric saturation
water vapour deficit and on soil moisture content. The hypothesis that plant-soil water relations can explain the distribution
of the three species along the catena from valley side to valley floor was rejected for Anthyllis and Stipa but confirmed for Retama.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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Keywords: | Anthyllis cytisoides relative water content Retama sphaerocarpa Stipa tenacissima stomatal conductance water potential |
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