Drought Tolerance and Competition in Eastern Redcedar () Encroachment of the Oak-Dominated Cross Timbers.

On the dry, western edge of the eastern deciduous forest of the USA (Cross Timbers), the drought-tolerant, evergreen eastern redcedar ( is encroaching into post oak- dominated woodlands. The overall goal of this study was to examine whether the drought tolerance strategies of eastern redcedar provide it a competitive advantage over post oak and whether this is a key attribute facilitating its successful establishment in the Cross Timbers. Specifically, we assessed xylem water potential and leaf gas exchange of these two species growing in single-species stands and in a mixed-species stand.