Torres-García et al. 2020_AJB_Ecophysiological data of the phreatophyte Ziziphus lotus

Data for the phreatophytic shrub Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam (Rhamnaceae) in a grounwater-dependent ecosystem of semiarid regions (southeastern Spain).

• Stable hydrogen (δ²H) and oxygen (δ¹⁸O) isotopes to find out which is the dominant water source for the plants. 
• Carbon stable isotope composition of leaves (δ¹³C) as a ecological indicator of plants function.
• Predawn (Ψ_pd) and midday (Ψ_md) water potentials to characterize the species on an isohydric–anisohydric continuum.
• Folar gas-exchange rates and nutrient concentrations to evaluate plants’ response to increasing water stress along a depth-to-groundwater (DTGW) gradient.

For further description of the methods, please see Torres-García et al., 2021. Squandering water in drylands. Am. J. Bot. DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1606