Methods
We conducted a dry-down experiment in the greenhouse to gauge the
response of seedlings to seasonal drought. Hence, our experiment
represented a scenario where seedlings growing in a limited volume of
soil were exposed to sudden drought and results should be interpreted
accordingly. Seeds of 16 different tree species (Appendix Table A1) were
obtained from two locations, Valparai in southern Western Ghats and
Sirsi in northern Western Ghats, representing less and more seasonal
climates respectively. Both sites have similar mean annual rainfall but
differ in their climatic water deficit (Sirsi: Mean annual precipitation
(MAP) = 3425 mm/year, number of dry months: 6, CWD = -826.9 mm/year;
Valparai: MAP = 2169.3 mm/year, number of dry months: 4, CWD = -396.51
mm/year, Source: Chave et al. 2014; Fick and Hijmans 2017) that
characterizes seasonal drought conditions (Krishnadas et al.2021).