| Seasonal water stress affects the physiology of woody plants and limiting their growth. Quantifying plant water status using stable carbon isotopes is a useful method for predicting suitability of plant species for cultivation, including short rotation crops used in restoration and biomass production. I used stable carbon isotopes to assess variation in long-term water status in annual tree rings among four clonal willow varieties in three sites in Central New York, two agricultural and one brownfield. At each site, I compared annual water status and biomass production at the end of a three-year rotation. Interannual water status varied significantly with site locations and plant age. Annual water status followed growing-season precipitation at the agricultural sites, not at the brownfield. Biomass production was not related to long-term water availability, thus surviving plants are not limited in biomass production. However, survival rates and plant water status were negatively correlated. |
