Divergence in plant water-use strategies in semiarid woody species.

Partitioning of water resources amongst plant species within a single climate envelope is possible if the species differ in key hydraulic traits. We examined 11 bivariate trait relationships across nine woody species found in the Ti-Tree basin of central Australia. We found that species with limited access to soil moisture, evidenced by low pre-dawn leaf water potential, displayed anisohydric behaviour (e.

Variation in photosynthetic traits related to access to water in semiarid Australian woody species.

Low soil water content can limit photosynthesis by reducing stomatal conductance. Here, we explore relationships among traits pertaining to carbon uptake and pre-dawn leaf water potential (as an index of soil water availability) across eight species found in semiarid central Australia. We found that as pre-dawn leaf water potential declined, stomatal limitations to photosynthesis increased, as did foliar nitrogen, which enhanced photosynthesis.