Species-specific drought effects on flower and fruit production in a Mediterranean holm oak forest |
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| Authors: | Ogaya Roma; Penuelas Josep |
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| Institution: | Unitat d'Ecofisiologia, CSIC-CEAB-CREAF, CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals), Fac. Ciències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Bracelona, Bellaterra, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain |
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| Abstract: | A holm oak forest was exposed to an experimental drought (reductionof 15 per cent soil moisture as predicted for this area forthe next decades by General Circulation Models and ecophysiologicalmodels) during 7 years to elucidate the reproductive responsesof the dominant species Quercus ilex L., Arbutus unedo L. andPhillyrea latifolia L. Soil moisture was partially reduced byplastic strips intercepting rainfall and by ditch exclusionof water runoff. During the period studied, meteorological conditionsand soil moisture were continuously monitored, together withflower and fruit production in the three dominant species. InQ. ilex and A. unedo, flower and specially fruit productionwere strongly correlated with annual rainfall, but not in P.latifolia. The experimental drought reduced flower and fruitproduction in Q. ilex by 30 per cent and 45 per cent, respectively.Reductions in flower and fruit production were not significantin A. unedo and were not observed in P. latifolia. A decreasein production of reproductive structures and the different responseof the species studied to a decrease in water availability couldinduce important changes in the competitive ability of the differentspecies and in the long term in the community species compositionand future distribution of these Mediterranean species. |
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