Genotypic variation in transpiration of coppiced poplar during the third rotation of a short-rotation bio-energy culture.

The productivity of short-rotation coppice (SRC) plantations with poplar ( spp.) strongly depends on soil water availability, which limits the future development of its cultivation, and makes the study of the transpirational water loss particularly timely under the ongoing climate change (more frequent drought and floods). This study assesses the transpiration at different scales (leaf, tree and stand) of four poplar genotypes belonging to different species and from a different genetic background grown under an SRC regime.