Introduction Introduction Restoring degraded drylands is a global concern. While revegetation with drought‐hardened native plants is considered effective, its success varies. Objectives We evaluated drought‐hardening's impact during nursery sapling production and studied the field performance of different species with potential for revegetation in the Central Monte Desert, one of South America's most arid ecosystems. Methods We monitored plant size, survival, and general condition of Bulnesia retama , Neltuma argentina , Neltuma flexuosa , and Neltuma alpataco . These were transplanted into an experimental revegetation plot in a livestock‐disturbed area of the Central Monte Desert. Before out‐planting, saplings were cultivated in a glasshouse with high and low water supply. We analyzed plant performance concerning the plasticity of previously measured morphological traits. Results Nursery drought‐hardening had no detectable effect after 5 years on most traits. Species identity was key, with the three Neltuma species showing superior performance, achieving the greatest canopy size and coverage. These species also displayed remarkable allometric plasticity, particularly in leaf area and root:shoot ratio. Conversely, B. retama performed poorly. Plant growth during the first year after transplanting, with irrigation and organic amendments, was 24 times greater than in subsequent years. Conclusions Drought‐hardening of saplings conferred no medium‐term advantage in this environment. Among the species evaluated, the three Neltuma species were most suitable and plastic. Long‐term estimates suggest vegetation cover recovery may require decades, highlighting slow processes in these ecosystems.
Cervera et al. (Thu,) studied this question.