Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants.

ABSTRACT: The diversity of water-use strategies among dryland plants has been the focus of extensive research, but important knowledge gaps remain. Comprehensive surveys of water-use traits encompassing multiple species growing at contrasting sites are needed to further advance current understanding of plant water use in drylands. Here we show that ecohydrological niche segregation driven by differences in water uptake depth among coexisting species is widespread across Mediterranean plant communities, as evidenced by soil and stem water isotopes measured in 62 native species growing at 10 sites with contrasting climatic conditions. Foliar carbon and oxygen isotopes revealed that leaf-level stomatal regulation stringency and water-use efficiency also differ markedly among coexisting species, and are

SUBMITTER: Munoz-Galvez FJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12048502 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature