Variations in bulk leaf carbon isotope discrimination, growth and related leaf traits among three Populus nigra L. populations.

The ongoing global change could be an additional threat to the establishment and the long-term survival of Populus nigra L., an emblematic European riparian species. With the general aim of gaining insights into the adaptive potential of this species, we (i) quantified variations within and among three French P.

Hydraulic efficiency and coordination with xylem resistance to cavitation, leaf function, and growth performance among eight unrelated Populus deltoidesxPopulus nigra hybrids.

Tests were carried out to determine whether variations in the hydraulic architecture of eight Populus deltoides×Populus nigra genotypes could be related to variations in leaf function and growth performance. Measurements were performed in a coppice plantation on 1-year-old shoots under optimal irrigation. Hydraulic architecture was characterized through estimates of hydraulic efficiency (the ratio of conducting sapwood area to leaf area, A(X):A(L); leaf- and xylem-specific hydraulic conductance of defoliated shoots, k(SL) and k(SS), respectively; apparent whole-plant leaf-specific hydraulic conductance, k(plant)) and xylem safety (water potential inducing 50% loss in hydraulic conductance).

Common trade-offs between xylem resistance to cavitation and other physiological traits do not hold among unrelated Populus deltoides x Populus nigra hybrids.

We examined the relationships between xylem resistance to cavitation and 16 structural and functional traits across eight unrelated Populus deltoides x Populus nigra genotypes grown under two contrasting water regimes. The xylem water potential inducing 50% loss of hydraulic conductance (Psi(50)) varied from -1.60 to -2.