biologia plantarum

International journal on Plant Life established by Bohumil Němec in 1959

Biologia plantarum 43:47-53, 2000 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1026546828466

Effects of a Severe Drought on Water and Nitrogen Use by Quercus ilex and Phyllyrea latifolia

J. Peñuelas1, I. Filella1, F. Lloret1, J. Piñol1, D. Siscart1
1 Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain e-mail

A severe drought that took place in Spain and other Mediterranean countries in 1994 produced a dieback of Quercus ilex trees on south-facing conglomerates but only minor defoliations in trees on north-facing schists. The foliar Δ13C of damaged trees continued to decrease in the next two wet years probably indicating increasing water use efficiency, and their δ15N continued to increase indicating progressive ecosystem N saturation and/or N losses whereas there were no significant changes in undamaged trees. Pre-drought Δ13C values were reached in the third year after the drought, but δ15N values did not yet recover. Another co-occurring small tree, Phyllyrea latifolia, did not show any damage and gained dominance in the most affected stands.

Keywords: damaged trees; stable isotopes; water stress; climate change; lithologies; water use efficiency; nitrogen availability and use
Subjects: carbon isotope ratio, D13C; drought stress, water and nitrogen use; global climate change; nitrogen availability and use, d15N, drought; oak, drought, water and N use; Phillyrea latifolia; Quercus ilex; water-use efficiency, severe drought

Published: March 1, 2000  Show citation

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Peñuelas, J., Filella, I., Lloret, F., Piñol, J., & Siscart, D. (2000). Effects of a Severe Drought on Water and Nitrogen Use by Quercus ilex and Phyllyrea latifolia. Biologia plantarum, 43(1), 47-53. doi: 10.1023/A:1026546828466
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