Between-tree variations in leaf δ13C of Quercus pubescens and Quercus ilex among Mediterranean habitats with different water availability.

In this study, sun leaf carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of two co-occurring woody Mediterranean species (Quercus pubescens Willd., a deciduous oak, and Q. ilex L., an evergreen one) was investigated on four sites with different water availability. The total range of δ13C values was 4.4 and 3.1‰ for Q. pubescens and Q. ilex respectively. The intra-site variability was about 3‰. Total mean per species was equal. There were significant differences among sites, but at each site means of δ13C were not significantly different between species. A simple physiological model predicts no difference in intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi) between evergreen and deciduous oaks. The relationship between site means of δ13C and water parameters suggests that there is a leaf functional adjustment with respect to available water resource. No correlation was found between δ13C and the contents of any mass-based biochemical constituent. Nevertheless there was a significant correlation between δ13C and leaf mass per area of Q. ilex. For both species, there is also a positive correlation between leaf δ13C and individual crown area, i.e. a structural characteristic at tree level. Causal relations between δ13C and plant-environment interactions are discussed.