Fertilization intensifies drought stress: Water use and stomatal conductance of Pinus taeda in a midrotation fertilization and throughfall reduction experiment

•We imposed fertilization (F) and 30% throughfall reduction (D) on a 8-year-old Pinus taeda stand.•We collected biometric, micrometeorological and sap flux data from 80 trees over 22months.•We studied effects on transpiration per ground area (EC) and canopy conductance per leaf area (GS).•Fertilization increased stem volume increment 21%, but no change in leaf area index was detected.•EC and GS decreased with both F and D, and most consistently with a combination.