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Hydrological cycle is expected to become the primary cause of ecosystem's degradation in near future under changing climate. Rain manipulation experiments under field conditions provide accurate picture on the responses of biotic processes to changed water availability for plants. A field experiment, mimicking expected changes in rain patterns, was established in a Mediterranean shrub community at Porto Conte, Italy, in 2001. In November 2011 Cistus monspeliensis , one of the dominating shrub species in the Mediterranean basin, was 13 C labelled on plots subjected to extended rain shortage period and on control non manipulated plots. Carbon (C) allocation was traced by 13 C dynamics in shoots, shoot-respired CO 2 , roots, microbial biomass, K 2 SO 4 -extractable C and CO 2 respired from soil. Most of the recovered 13 C (60%) was respired by shoots within 2 weeks in control plots. In rain shortage treatment, 13 C remained incorporated in aboveground plant parts. Residence time of 13 C in leaves was longer under the rain shortage because less 13 C was lost by shoot respiration and because 13 C was re-allocated to leaves from woody tissues. The belowground C sink was weak (3–4% of recovered 13 C) and independent on rain manipulation. Extended rain shortage promoted C exudation into rhizosphere soil in expense of roots. Together with lowered photosynthesis, this “save” economy of new C metabolites reduces the growing season under rain shortage resulting in decrease of shrub cover and C losses from the system on the long-term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We analysed Cistus monspeliensis spring-leaf functioning under experimental drought. [•] Assimilation rates were reduced only before leaf morphological adaptations occurred. [•] These adaptations were adopted earlier under experimental dry conditions. [•] When natural summer aridity occurred, leaf morphology also changed in the control. [•] Leaf shedding was anticipated under experimental drought to reduce water losses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]