Water Source Partitioning among Trees Growing on Shallow Karst Soils in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Climate

• Published in: Oecologia Vol. 152; no. 1; pp. 26 - 36
• Main Authors: Querejeta, José Ignacio, Estrada-Medina, Héctor, Allen, Michael F., Jiménez-Osornio, Juan José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.05.2007; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aquifers; Bedrock; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon Isotopes - analysis; Concentration gradient; Deciduous trees; Deuterium - analysis; Dredging; Drought; Dry season; Dry seasons; Ecophysiology; Enterolobium cyclocarpum; Evergreen trees; Excavation; Ficus; Forest soils; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Groundwater; Groundwater table; Isotopes; Isotopic enrichment; Karst; Limestone; Limestone soils; Meteoric water; Mexico; Oxygen Isotopes - analysis; Partitioning; Plant Leaves - growth & development; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant roots; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plant species; Rooting depth; Seasons; Soil; Soil depth; Soil water; Soil water storage; Soils; Species; Stable isotopes; Stems; Storage capacity; Storage conditions; Topsoil; Trees; Trees - growth & development; Trees - metabolism; Tropical Climate; Tropical environment; Tropical environments; Uses; Vegetation; Water - chemistry; Water - metabolism; Water analysis; Water depth; Water samples; Water sampling; Water storage; Water supply; Water table; Woody plants; Resource sharing; Isotopes . Resource partitioning; Tropical climate; Depth; Resource repartition; Soils; Karst; Rooting depth; Groundwater; Yucatan; Tree; Rooting; Isotopes; Ground water

The sources of water used by woody vegetation growing on karst soils in seasonally dry tropical regions are little known. In northern Yucatan (Mexico), trees withstand 4-6 months of annual drought in spite of the small water storage capacity of the shallow karst soil. We hypothesized that adult ever...