The water relations of two perennial grasses in a Mediterranean grassland
2014
Exadactylou, P | Karatassiou, M
The Mediterranean zone is frequently prone to extended periods of drought, especially during the summer. Thus, water is a restrictive factor that affects the growth and the productivity of Mediterranean grass species. The aim of this study was to investigate the water relations of two perennial grasses, Phalaris aquatica and Dactylis glomerata, which are common in Mediterranean grasslands. The experiment was conducted during the growing season in a low elevation grassland in Northern Greece. The midday leaf water potential (Ψ) was measured while the leaf Relative Water Content (RWC) and the Relative Drought Index (RDI) were estimated. Different responses under water deficit conditions were evident between the two species. P. aquatica presented higher drought tolerance and completed its biological cycle later than D. glomerata under water deficit conditions. In the last phenological stages, P. aquatica exhibited higher values of Ψ and RWC but lower values of RDI in relation to D. glomerata. As it was expected, the two species presented different critical threshold points. Our results showed that, P. aquatica is more adapted to arid or semi-arid conditions of the low elevation Mediterranean grasslands. P. aquatica seems to display mechanisms that enable continue growth and giving high forage production under xeric conditions.
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