Drought can alter leaf senescence and nutrient resorption, but whether these alterations are consistent between trees of contrasting leaf habits remains unclear. We conducted an experiment for 2 years with potted saplings to compare leaf habit and drought effects on leaf abscission dynamics and nutrient resorption proficiency in two evergreen and two deciduous Nothofagus (Nothofagaceae) species from southern temperate forests. A global meta-analyses has found similar nitrogen (N) proficiency between leaf habits, and greater phosphorus (P) proficiency for evergreens; however, it is unclear whether these differences are attributable to phylogeny or leaf habit. Leaf habit had no effect on either N or P resorption proficiency, but drought significantly decreased P resorption proficiency, particularly in evergreens. Additionally, drought reduced spring relative growth and promoted significantly earlier leaf abscission in both leaf habits. In evergreens, reduced P proficiency along with a non-significant trend of higher litter mass under drought led to increased litter P content. Thus, leaf P resorption proficiency of evergreens appeared to be hindered by drought, whereas drought-induced senescence was efficient in reducing P losses in deciduous saplings. Our findings suggest that nutrient cycling and species composition in strongly P-limited environments could change under sustained, moderate drought conditions.

干旱可以改变叶片的衰老和养分吸收，但这些变化是否在具有相反叶片习性的树木之间是否一致尚不清楚。我们用盆栽树苗进行了为期2年的实验，比较了两个常绿和两个落叶Nothofagus的叶片习性和干旱对叶片脱落动态和养分吸收能力的影响（Nothofagaceae）物种来自南部温带森林。一项全球荟萃分析发现，叶片习性之间的氮素水平相似，常绿植物的磷素水平更高。然而，目前尚不清楚这些差异是否归因于系统发育或叶习性。叶片习性对氮或磷的吸收能力没有影响，但是干旱显着降低了磷的吸收能力，特别是在常绿植物中。此外，干旱降低了春季的相对生长，并显着促进了两种叶片习性中的早期叶片脱落。在常绿植物中，磷含量的降低以及干旱条件下凋落物质量的增加没有明显趋势，导致凋落物P含量增加。因此，常绿植物的叶片P吸收能力似乎受干旱的影响，而干旱引起的衰老可以有效减少落叶树苗中的磷流失。我们的发现表明，在持续的中度干旱条件下，在强磷限制环境中的养分循环和物种组成可能会发生变化。