Anticipating future impacts of climate warming and aridification on drylands requires understanding how coexisting woody plant species respond to climate variability. However, we lack knowledge of the growth resilience capacity of Mediterranean shrubs. Do coexisting trees and shrubs differ in their response to climate? Do coexisting shrub species have comparable post‐drought growth resilience? This study was conducted in two Mediterranean shrublands with sparse trees in semi‐arid north‐eastern Spain. We selected sites situated in formerly agricultural or grassland areas in two regions subjected to semi‐arid Mediterranean climate conditions. We sampled six shrubs' species (Juniperus phoenicea, Juniperus oxycedrus, Pistacia lentiscus, Pistacia terebinthus, Rhamnus lycioides and Rhamnus alaternus) and one tree species (Pinus halepensis) to measure their radial growth and to reconstruct their past growth patterns using dendrochronology. We quantified climate–growth relationships of trees and shrubs, as well as the growth resilience capacity after drought events of the six shrubs. Growth patterns differed between species but a prevalent trade‐off between growth and longevity was found. Growth responses to climate were comparable between species but differed between sites. Most species responded positively to precipitation and negatively to temperature. The most negative correlations of growth with drought severity were found at the driest Valcuerna site. Shrubs differed in their resilience capacity. Across sites, species were more resistant and resilient in Alcubierre, the wettest site. The shrubs P. terebinthus and R. lycioides were more resistant and resilient than the rest of species, which required longer growth recovery times and accumulated stronger growth reductions, particularly J. phoenicea. Synthesis. These results highlight the importance of drought as a driver of growth in Mediterranean scrublands. Growth resilience strategies differed between species with junipers being less resilient to drought than other coexisting shrubs. Further research should investigate how this difference in post‐drought resilience is related to functional traits, particularly those related with plant water‐use strategies.

中文翻译：

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共存的地中海灌木具有相似的气候-生长关系，但抗旱策略不同


预测气候变暖和干旱化对旱地的未来影响需要了解共存的木本植物物种如何应对气候变化。然而，我们对地中海灌木的生长恢复能力缺乏了解。共存的树木和灌木对气候的反应是否不同？共存的灌木物种是否具有类似的干旱后生长恢复能力？这项研究是在半干旱的西班牙东北部两个树木稀疏的地中海灌木丛中进行的。我们选择的地点位于两个受半干旱地中海气候条件影响的地区，以前是农业区或草原区。我们对六种灌木（Juniperus phoenicea、Juniperus oxycedrus、Pistacia lentiscus、Pistacia terebinthus、Rhamnus lycioides 和 Rhamnus aternus）和一种树种（Pinus halepensis）进行了采样，以测量它们的径向生长并使用树木年代学重建它们过去的生长模式。我们量化了树木和灌木的气候与生长关系，以及六种灌木在干旱事件后的生长恢复能力。物种之间的生长模式有所不同，但发现了生长和寿命之间普遍存在的权衡。物种之间的生长对气候的反应具有可比性，但不同地点的生长反应不同。大多数物种对降水有积极的反应，而对温度有消极的反应。在最干燥的瓦尔库埃纳地区发现生长与干旱严重程度的负相关性最强。灌木的恢复能力不同。在各个地点，在最潮湿的地点阿尔库别尔，物种的抵抗力和恢复能力更强。灌木 P. terebinthus 和 R. lycioides 比其他物种更具抵抗力和弹性，需要更长的生长恢复时间并积累更强烈的生长减少，特别是 J. phoenicea.Synthesis。这些结果凸显了干旱作为地中海灌木丛生长驱动力的重要性。不同物种的生长恢复策略有所不同，杜松树对干旱的恢复能力低于其他共存的灌木。进一步的研究应该调查干旱后恢复力的这种差异如何与功能性状相关，特别是与植物水分利用策略相关的功能性状。