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Species distribution and crown decline are associated with contrasting water relations in four common sympatric eucalypt species in southwestern Australia

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A Commentary to this article was published on 08 November 2012

Abstract

Background and aims

Drought-associated vegetation declines are increasingly observed worldwide. We investigated whether differences in water relations can potentially explain the distribution and vulnerability to drought-induced decline of four common tree species in Mediterranean southwestern Australia.

Methods

We compared seasonal and daily water relations of four eucalypt species (i.e. C. calophylla, E. accedens, E. marginata, E. wandoo) when co-occurring as well as on nearby typical sites for each species.

Results

When co-occurring, species generally inhabiting drier regions (i.e. E. accedens, E. wandoo) had lower summer leaf water potentials, osmotic potential, and vulnerability to cavitation and higher stomatal conductance and relative sapflow velocity. Both wetter zone species (e.g. C. calophylla and E. marginata) had remarkably high vulnerabilities to cavitation for Mediterranean woody species but showed greatly improved leaf water status on nearby sites where they dominate. Using local soil moisture retention curves of saprolitic clay layers underlying southwestern Australia we show the large disadvantage that the wetter zone species have in terms of accessing tightly bound water in these layers.

Conclusions

Our work shows that species distribution and local dominance of four dominant overstorey species in southwestern Australia is largely a function of plant water relations interacting with local soil profiles. The observed differences in water relations amongst species are consistent with some of the declines that have been observed in recent decades.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the many people that have assisted in the field and lab work, or that have contributed through engaging in stimulating discussions, including Koen Antonise, Martin Bader, Tim Bleby, Steve Burgess, Eleftheria Dalmaris, Werther Guidi, Mike Oatham, Fabiano Scarpa & Perry Swanborough. This research was supported by Australian Research Council Linkage grant LP0347692, with additional financial support from the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia

    Pieter Poot & Erik J. Veneklaas

  2. Science Division, Department of Environment and Conservation, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, Bentley, WA, 6983, Australia

    Pieter Poot

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  1. Pieter Poot
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  2. Erik J. Veneklaas
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Correspondence to Pieter Poot.

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Responsible Editor: Rafael S. Oliveira.

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Detailed experimental site descriptions (PDF 21 kb)

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Detailed xylem vulnerability curve protocol used (PDF 19 kb)

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Poot, P., Veneklaas, E.J. Species distribution and crown decline are associated with contrasting water relations in four common sympatric eucalypt species in southwestern Australia. Plant Soil 364, 409–423 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-012-1452-8

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