Comment les arbres méditerranéens affrontent-ils l'imprévisibilité de la ressource en eau ?

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Plants have the abitity ta dampen the effects of variabitity in water resources. Various mechanisms contribute to these properties. In Mediterranean-type climates, deciduous shrub or tree species have their summer drought occurring during their peak of physiological activities and so, may compromise their survival. For the evergreen species, they need to maintain water stress lower than a given threshold below which leaves undergo irreversible damages. From describing some mechanisms used by the plants to control their water use, we analyze the final results in term of water balance and hydrological budget.