Intra-specific climatic and drought adaptation along the entire altitudinal gradient of a native riparian species (Populus fremontii)

Desert riparian tree species are valued because they increase biological diversity and enhance watershed protection. However, climate change threatens the fitness of these foundational species and consequently the ecosystems they support. Through a set of morpho-physiological traits, we studied intraspecific differences in whole-tree water use and carbon balance in a widely distributed tree species, Fremont’s Cottonwood (Populus fremontii). Using a common garden approach with populations sourced across Fremont’s entire thermal distribution, we identified how different physiological mechanisms correlate with provenances’ environmental conditions. Thus, we will be able to predict how global changes will affect Fremont at an intraspecific level.