Drought by CO₂ interactions in trees: a test of the water savings mechanism

Elevated atmospheric CO₂ (eC_a) may benefit plants during drought by reducing stomatal conductance (g_s) but any ‘water savings effect’ could be neutralized by concurrent stimulation of leaf area. We investigated whether eC_a enhanced water savings, thereby ameliorating the impact of drought on carbon and water relations in trees. 

We report leaf-level gas exchange and whole-plant and soil water relations during a short-term dry-down in two Eucalyptus species with contrasting drought tolerance. Plants had previously been established for 9 to 11 months in steady-state conditions of ambient atmospheric CO₂ (aC_a) and eC_a, with half of each treatment group exposed to sustained drought for 5 to 7 months. 

The lower stomatal conductance under eC_a did not lead to soil moisture savings during the dry-down due to the counteractive effect of increased whole-plant leaf area. Nonetheless, eC_a-grown plants maintained higher photosynthetic rates and leaf water potentials, making them less stressed during the dry-down, despite being larger. These effects were more pronounced in the xeric species than the mesic species, and in previously water-stressed plants. 

Our findings indicate that eC_a may enhance plant performance during drought despite a lack of soil water savings, especially in species with more conservative growth and water-use strategies.