Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants

[EN] The diversity of water-use strategies among dryland plants has been the focus of extensive research, but important knowledge gaps remain. Comprehensive surveys of water-use traits encompassing multiple species growing at contrasting sites are needed to further advance current understanding of p...

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Autores: Muñoz Gálvez, Francisco Javier, Querejeta Mercader, José Ignacio, Moreno Gutiérrez, Cristina, Ren, Wei, García de la Riva, Enrique, Prieto Aguilar, Iván
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de León
Repositorio:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
OAI Identifier:oai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/26223
Acceso en línea:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59348-3
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/26223
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Biología
Botánica
Ecología. Medio ambiente
Ecophysiology
Forest ecology
Plant ecology
Stable isotope analysis
2417.13 Ecología Vegetal
2508.05 Hidrobiología
2508.13 Humedad del Suelo
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spelling Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plantsMuñoz Gálvez, Francisco JavierQuerejeta Mercader, José IgnacioMoreno Gutiérrez, CristinaRen, WeiGarcía de la Riva, EnriquePrieto Aguilar, IvánBiologíaBotánicaEcología. Medio ambienteEcophysiologyForest ecologyPlant ecologyStable isotope analysis2417.13 Ecología Vegetal2508.05 Hidrobiología2508.13 Humedad del Suelo[EN] The diversity of water-use strategies among dryland plants has been the focus of extensive research, but important knowledge gaps remain. Comprehensive surveys of water-use traits encompassing multiple species growing at contrasting sites are needed to further advance current understanding of plant water use in drylands. Here we show that ecohydrological niche segregation driven by differences in water uptake depth among coexisting species is widespread across Mediterranean plant communities, as evidenced by soil and stem water isotopes measured in 62 native species growing at 10 sites with contrasting climatic conditions. Foliar carbon and oxygen isotopes revealed that leaf-level stomatal regulation stringency and water-use efficiency also differ markedly among coexisting species, and are both coordinated with water uptake depth. Larger and taller woody species use a greater proportion of deeper soil water, display more conservative water use traits at leaf level (“water-savers”) and show greater investment in foliage relative to shoots. Conversely, smaller species rely mainly on shallow soil water, exhibit a more profligate water use strategy (“water-spenders”) and prioritize investment in shoots over foliage. Drought stress favours coordination between above and belowground water-use traits, resulting in unavoidable trade-offs that constrain the diversity of whole-plant water use strategies in Mediterranean plant communitiesSIThis study was funded by the Fundación Séneca de la Región de Murcia (grant 20654/ JLI/18 awarded to I.P.) and the Ministry of Science of Spain (grants PID2019-107382RB-I00, PID2022-141041NB-I00, CGL2013-48753-R, AGL- 2006-11234 awarded to J.I.Q.). I.P. also acknowledges funding from a Ramón y Cajal project and contract (RYC2021-033081-I) funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and co-funded by the European Union- Next Generation Plan funded by European Union-NextGenerationEU. J.I.Q. acknowledges funding from AGROALNEXT (PRTR-C17.l1), supported by MCIN with funding from NextGenerationEUNature ResearchEcologiaFacultad de Ciencias Biologicas y Ambientales2025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59348-3https://hdl.handle.net/10612/26223reponame:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Leóninstname:Universidad de LeónInglésinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreemen/AEI/Programa Estatal de Generación de Conocimiento y Fortalecimiento Científico y Tecnológico del Sistema de I+D+i/PID2019-107382RB-I00/ES/Diversidad funcional de estrategias de uso de agua y nutrientes por las plantas en ecosistemas mediterráneos y secosinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Programa Estatal para Impulsar la Investigación Científico-Técnica y su Transferencia/PID2022-141041NB-I00info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica de Excelencia/CGL2013-48753-Rinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MICINN/Programa Estatal para Desarrollar, Atraer y Retener Talento/RYC2021-033081-Ihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/262232026-06-24T12:43:27Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants
title Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants
spellingShingle Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants
Muñoz Gálvez, Francisco Javier
Biología
Botánica
Ecología. Medio ambiente
Ecophysiology
Forest ecology
Plant ecology
Stable isotope analysis
2417.13 Ecología Vegetal
2508.05 Hidrobiología
2508.13 Humedad del Suelo
title_short Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants
title_full Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants
title_fullStr Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants
title_full_unstemmed Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants
title_sort Trait coordination and trade-offs constrain the diversity of water use strategies in Mediterranean woody plants
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Muñoz Gálvez, Francisco Javier
Querejeta Mercader, José Ignacio
Moreno Gutiérrez, Cristina
Ren, Wei
García de la Riva, Enrique
Prieto Aguilar, Iván
author Muñoz Gálvez, Francisco Javier
author_facet Muñoz Gálvez, Francisco Javier
Querejeta Mercader, José Ignacio
Moreno Gutiérrez, Cristina
Ren, Wei
García de la Riva, Enrique
Prieto Aguilar, Iván
author_role author
author2 Querejeta Mercader, José Ignacio
Moreno Gutiérrez, Cristina
Ren, Wei
García de la Riva, Enrique
Prieto Aguilar, Iván
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Ecologia
Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas y Ambientales
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Biología
Botánica
Ecología. Medio ambiente
Ecophysiology
Forest ecology
Plant ecology
Stable isotope analysis
2417.13 Ecología Vegetal
2508.05 Hidrobiología
2508.13 Humedad del Suelo
topic Biología
Botánica
Ecología. Medio ambiente
Ecophysiology
Forest ecology
Plant ecology
Stable isotope analysis
2417.13 Ecología Vegetal
2508.05 Hidrobiología
2508.13 Humedad del Suelo
description [EN] The diversity of water-use strategies among dryland plants has been the focus of extensive research, but important knowledge gaps remain. Comprehensive surveys of water-use traits encompassing multiple species growing at contrasting sites are needed to further advance current understanding of plant water use in drylands. Here we show that ecohydrological niche segregation driven by differences in water uptake depth among coexisting species is widespread across Mediterranean plant communities, as evidenced by soil and stem water isotopes measured in 62 native species growing at 10 sites with contrasting climatic conditions. Foliar carbon and oxygen isotopes revealed that leaf-level stomatal regulation stringency and water-use efficiency also differ markedly among coexisting species, and are both coordinated with water uptake depth. Larger and taller woody species use a greater proportion of deeper soil water, display more conservative water use traits at leaf level (“water-savers”) and show greater investment in foliage relative to shoots. Conversely, smaller species rely mainly on shallow soil water, exhibit a more profligate water use strategy (“water-spenders”) and prioritize investment in shoots over foliage. Drought stress favours coordination between above and belowground water-use traits, resulting in unavoidable trade-offs that constrain the diversity of whole-plant water use strategies in Mediterranean plant communities
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59348-3
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/26223
url https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59348-3
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/26223
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/grantAgreemen/AEI/Programa Estatal de Generación de Conocimiento y Fortalecimiento Científico y Tecnológico del Sistema de I+D+i/PID2019-107382RB-I00/ES/Diversidad funcional de estrategias de uso de agua y nutrientes por las plantas en ecosistemas mediterráneos y secos
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Programa Estatal para Impulsar la Investigación Científico-Técnica y su Transferencia/PID2022-141041NB-I00
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Programa Estatal de Fomento de la Investigación Científica y Técnica de Excelencia/CGL2013-48753-R
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MICINN/Programa Estatal para Desarrollar, Atraer y Retener Talento/RYC2021-033081-I
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Nature Research
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Nature Research
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
instname:Universidad de León
instname_str Universidad de León
reponame_str BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
collection BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
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