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Variation in leaf longevity of Pistacia lentiscus and its relationship to sex and drought stress inferred from leaf δ 13 C
Author(s) -
JONASSON S.,
MEDRANO H.,
Flexas J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
functional ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2435
pISSN - 0269-8463
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2435.1997.00090.x
Subject(s) - pistacia lentiscus , biology , longevity , evergreen , shrub , botany , phenology , deserts and xeric shrublands , photosynthesis , horticulture , mediterranean climate , ecology , genetics , habitat
1. Leaf formation, loss, retention, longevity and biomass on male branches of the evergreen mediterranean shrub Pistacia lentiscus , L. correlated strongly with water‐use efficiency inferred from leaf δ 13 C across a gradient of precipitation on the island of Mallorca, Spain. 2. The correlations suggest that the leaf phenology is under control of drought‐induced constraints on the carbon balance. 3. In fruiting female branches, the correlations between the inferred water‐use efficiency and number of formed and retained leaves, leaf biomass and leaf longevity were non‐significant. Leaf formation was strongly reduced by fruiting and the females compensated the reduced photosynthetic capacity by retaining older leaves for a longer time than male plants. 4. It is suggested that leaf longevity in females is under strong control of resource allocation to fruit formation which is ‘overlaid’ on the drought‐induced carbon stress, which led to the observed longer leaf longevity in females than in males.