Habitat, Plant form, and plant water relations in Mediterranean-climate regions

Although a general relationship can be discerned between plant growth form or anatomy and habitat aridity, this relationship can be complex. Plants can significantly modify the water resource level of their habitat as well as controlling their water use patterns in diverse ways. Plants which avoid drought by leaf loss still maintain perennating tissues which are highly drought tolerant. On the other hand, deeply-rooted evergreen plants may have a relatively low tolerance to drought. Our concepts of drought avoiding and drought enduring species should be refined to consider the different tissues present on a plant at different seasons.Mooney Harold A. Habitat, Plant form, and plant water relations in Mediterranean-climate regions. In: Ecologia mediterranea, tome 8 n°1-2, 1982. Définition et localisation des écosystèmes méditerranéens terrestres / Definition and localization of terrestrian Mediterranean biota. Saint-Maximin (France) 16-20/11/81. pp. 481-488