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Dryad

Data from: The effect of shrub cover on conifer water-use patterns, growth, and response to climate change in the southern Sierra Nevada

Data files

Jan 30, 2024 version files 135.22 KB

Abstract

As wildfire increases in size and severity, large areas of forest are undergoing substantial increases in shrub cover. In forests where water is the limiting resource, the paritioning of soil water between shrubs and trees may determine how shrubs affect tree growth and water-stress. We analyzed hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in the xylem water for two conifer species and two shrub species to assess how shrub cover affects the water-uptake patterns of conifers in the southern Sierra Nevada. Further, we analyzed tree growth and stable carbon isotopes in tree rings to assess how shrub cover affects tree growth, intrinsic water-use efficiency and response to climate change.