期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1992
卷号：89
期号：16
页码：7747-7751
DOI：10.1073/pnas.89.16.7747
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Genetic variation in both carbon isotope discrimination and the proportions of leaf and photosynthetic twig tissues were observed in ecotypes of Hymenoclea salsola T.G., a common shrub in the deserts of the western United States, when grown under common garden conditions. These variations were correlated with climatic conditions in the habitats of origin through a model that described the leaf-to-air water vapor gradients experienced by plants during the growing season. Both carbon isotope discrimination and the proportion of leaves in the canopy were lower in plants derived from habitats with higher leaf-to-air vapor gradients, despite the fact that some of these sites received relatively high amounts of annual precipitation. These patterns were consistent with the notion that plants are able to maintain substantial control of water-use efficiency over large environmental gradients of temperature and moisture availability.
