Responses of C4 grasses to aridity reflect species-specific strategies in a semiarid savanna

The C4 Poaceae are a diverse group both in terms of evolutionary lineage and biochemistry. There is a distinct pattern in the distribution of C4 grass groups with aridity, however, the mechanistic basis for this distribution is not well understood. Additionally, few studies have investigated the functional strategies of cooccurring C4 grass species for dealing with aridity in their natural environments. We explored the coordination of leaf-level gas exchange, water use, and morphology among five co-occurring semiarid C4 grasses belonging to divergent clades, biochemical subtypes, and size classes at three sites along a natural aridity gradient. More specifically, we measured pre-dawn and midday water potential, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency, and photosynthesis. Leaf tissue was also collected for analysis of stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen as well as for measurement of specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf width. Species differences in the responsiveness of stomata to chang..., Species and Site Descriptions
To explore relationships between physiology, morphology, and grass subtype across a natural aridity gradient (across sites) and across species (within sites), we measured a suite of gas exchange parameters (photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency), water stress (leaf water potential), morphology (specific leaf area, leaf width), and bulk leaf stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen in a variety of C4 grasses commonly found in North American semi-arid savannas. Five species representing different combinations of biochemical subtype, phylogenetic lineage, and physiognomy (Aristida wrightii Nash [NADP-ME, Aristidoideae, midgrass], Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr. [NAD-ME/PCK, Chloridoideae, midgrass], Erioneuron pilosum (Buckley) Nash [NAD-ME, Chloridoideae, shortgrass], Eriochloa sericea (Scheele) Munro ex Vasey [PCK, Panicoideae, midgrass], and Hilaria belangeri (Steud.) Nash [PCK, Chloridoideae, shortgrass]) was studied across three sit..., , # Data from: Responses of C4 grasses to aridity reflect species-specific strategies in a semiarid savanna

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7m0cfxq39](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7m0cfxq39)

Contains separate datasets for water potential, stable oxygen isotopes, stable carbon isotopes, photosynthetic gas exchange, specific leaf area, and leaf width. A file with plot averages used for regression analyses is also included.

## Description of the data and file structure

All files included are .csv type files structured for use in R statistical software. We include here raw datasets for water potential measurements made in 2019 (**WP_2019_only.csv**), stable isotopes of oxygen for 2019 (**GrassIsotopes_2019_O.csv**), stable isotopes of carbon for 2019 (**C_data_2019.csv**), cleaned gas exchange measurements for 2019 from LI-6800 (**Photo_2019.csv**), specific leaf area data for 2019 (**SLA_2019.csv**), leaf width data for 2019 (**Leaf_Widths_2019.csv**), and data for all variables averaged...