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Plant morphology and root hydraulics are altered by nutrient deficiency in Pistacia lentiscus (L.)

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Abstract

The plants in arid and semiarid areas are often limited by water and nutrients. Morpho-functional adjustments to improve nutrient capture may have important implications on plant water balance, and on plant capacity to withstand drought. Several studies have shown that N and P deficiencies may decrease plant hydraulic conductance. Surprisingly, studies on the implications of nutrient limitations on water use in xerophytes are scarce. We have evaluated the effects of strong reductions in nitrogen and phosphorus availability on morphological traits and hydraulic conductance in seedlings of a common Mediterranean shrub, Pistacia lentiscus L.. Nitrogen deficiency resulted in a decrease in aboveground biomass accumulation, but it did not affect belowground biomass accumulation or root morphology. Phosphorus-deficient plants showed a decrease in leaf area, but no changes in aboveground biomass. Root length, root surface area, and specific root length were higher in phosphorus-deficient plants than in control plants. Nitrogen and phosphorus deficiency reduced both root hydraulic conductance and root hydraulic conductance scaled by total root surface area. On the other hand, nutrient limitations did not significantly affect root conductance per unit of foliar surface area. Thus, adaptation to low nutrient availability did not affect seedling capacity for maintaining water supply to leaves. The implications for drought resistance and survival during seedling establishment in semi-arid environments are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the CEAM Foundation (Project: “Selección de precedencias y producción de planta en vivero para la restauración de la cubierta vegetal y control de la erosión en clima semiárido”) and XylRefor (Manipulación de la arquitectura hidráulica en especies vegetales aplicada a la mejora de la calidad de la planta forestal. Grupos 03/155, financed by the Generalitat Valenciana). The CEAM Foundation is funded by Generalitat Valenciana and Bancaixa. We are also grateful to Marian Pérez.

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  1. Depto. de Ecología, U. de Alicante, Ap. 99, 03080, Alicante, Spain

    Roman Trubat & Jordi Cortina

  2. Fundcion Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo (CEAM), Parque Tecnologico, C/Charles Darwin, 46980, Paterna, Spain

    Alberto Vilagrosa

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  1. Roman Trubat
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  2. Jordi Cortina
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Correspondence to Roman Trubat.

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Communicated by H. Cochard

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Trubat, R., Cortina, J. & Vilagrosa, A. Plant morphology and root hydraulics are altered by nutrient deficiency in Pistacia lentiscus (L.). Trees 20, 334–339 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-005-0045-z

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