ECO-PHYSIOLOGY OF CAPPARIS SPINOSA L. : A PLANT SUITABLE FOR COMBATING DESERTIFICATION

Capparis spinosa from the family Capparidaceae is widely distributed on varying habitats in Turkey. Recently, it has been recommended for the evaluation of degraded arid lands in the country. This study was thus undertaken to investigate the diurnal time course of water relations of C. spinosa L. growing on healthy and degraded sites. Water stress was analysed on the basis of stomatal conductance (gs), leaf water potential ( w) and transpiration rate. The species appeared to be a drought resistant with lower WSIS (16 MPa h), showing a negligible difference between the two sites. A high gs, with lowest WSIS value shows that despite being a water spender, C. spinosa dynamically recovers even in the warmest hours of the day and under drought conditions. The long roots and wide ecological amplitude allow it to withstand harsh environments. The species thus appears to be a suitable candidate for the protection of degraded areas.