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Living in drought: The behaviour of a Mediterranean holm oak forest after 24 years of rainfall exclusion

Student thesis: Doctoral thesis

Abstract

The main objective of this thesis is to investigate the responses of two co-dominant species, Quercus ilex L. and Phillyrea latifolia L., in a mediterranean holm oak forest to a 23-year rainfall exclusion treatment initiated in 1999. In this thesis, we explore the species’ responses at both the leaf and stand levels across four chapters, focusing on ecophysiological traits, such as photochemical activity, chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf water content and demographic traits, such as growth and survival, under prolonged drought conditions. We highlight the intricate relationships between these variables, the impact of environmental factors such as soil moisture and vapor pressure deficit, and the species’ adaptative capacities to sustained climatic stress.
Date of Award25 Oct 2024
Original languageEnglish
SupervisorJosep Peñuelas Reixach (Director), Marcos Fernandez Martinez (Director) & Romà Ogaya Inurriago (Director)

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