The Burren is a karstic region in the west of Ireland characterised by large areas of exposed limestone pavement with sparse vegetation. Despite the prevailing oceanic climate and high rainfall, substrate volumetric water content values are similar to those of semi-arid habitats due to high run-off. As a consequence, plants growing on the pavement regularly experience water deficit during the summer months. S. albicans, a species reported to be tolerant of water deficits, is one of the most abundant species growing on the limestone pavement. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of water availability on the plant performance of a number of species commonly occurring on the limestone pavement
