Xylem embolism, mortality and nocturnal water loss for 8 species.csv

<b>Abstract</b> Drought-induced tree mortality is expected to increase in future climates with the potential for significant consequences to global carbon, water and energy cycles. Xylem embolism can accumulate to lethal levels during drought, but species that can refill embolized xylem and recover hydraulic function may be able to avoid mortality. Yet the potential controls of embolism recovery, including cross-biome patterns and plant traits such as non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), hydraulic traits, and nocturnal stomatal conductance, are unknown. We exposed eight plant species, originating from mesic (tropical and temperate) and semi-arid environments, to drought under ambient and elevated CO₂ levels and assessed recovery from embolism following re-watering. We found a positive association between xylem recovery and NSCs, and surprisingly, a positive relationship between xylem recovery and nocturnal stomatal conductance. Arid-zone species exhibited greater embolism recovery than mesic zone species. Our results indicate that nighttime stomatal conductance, often assumed to be a wasteful use of water, may in fact be a key part of plant drought responses, and contribute to drought survival. Findings suggested distinct biome-specific responses that partially depended on species climate-of-origin precipitation or aridity index, that allowed some species to recover from xylem embolism. These findings provide improved understanding required to predict the response of diverse plant communities to drought. Our results provide a framework for predicting future vegetation shifts in response to climate change.<b></b><br>Data uploaded include plant hydraulic data and plant characteristics, including time to mortality, vessel length versus branch length and time to death for eight species across different biomes.