
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Anderson, JE 
A1  - Williams, J 
A1  - Kriedemann, PE 
A1  - Austin, MP 
A1  - Farquhar, GD 
T1  - Correlations Between Carbon Isotope Discrimination and Climate of Native Habitats for Diverse Eucalypt Taxa Growing in a Common Garden
JF  - Functional Plant Biology
JO  - Functional Plant Biol.
Y1  - 1996
VL  - 23
IS  - 3
SP  - 311
EP  - 320
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/PP9960311 
N2  - Distributions of common species of Eucalyptus in south-eastem Australia are related to gradients in temperature and rainfall. To determine whether intrinsic water-use efficiency (as indexed by carbon isotope discrimination, &#916;) or other leaf attributes were related to climate of native habitats, we sampled 17 populations representing 14 species of Eucalyptus growing in a common garden in south- central New South Wales. Phreatophytes were clearly distinguished from populations that are totally dependent upon soil moisture derived from rainfall by having higher &#916; at a particular level of rainfall. Among 12 non-phreatophytic populations (11 species), &#916; was positively correlated with mean annual precipitation (r = 0.75, P = 0.005), December-March precipitation (r = 0.79, P = 0.002), an index of annual soil moisture (r = 0.81, P = 0.001) and seasonality of precipitation (r = 0.85, P < 0.001). There were similarly strong but negative correlations between &#916; and potential evaporation during the summer months, but &#916; was not correlated with annual potential evaporation of the source sites. Leaf mass per unit area (&#961;e) was negatively correlated with indices of water availability, positively correlated with nitrogen per unit leaf area (r = 0.90, P < 0.001), and negatively correlated with &#916; (r = -0.73, P = 0.007). A was negatively correlated with area-based leaf nitrogen (r = -0.79, P = 0.002). These complementary correlations among &#916;, &#961;e, and nitrogen per unit leaf area indicate that variation in &#916; may stem largely from variation in photosynthetic capacity. The results provide strong evidence that variation in &#916; and &#961;e reflect genetic adaptations to native habitats. 
ER  -

