Effect of leaf phenology and morphology on the coordination between stomatal and minor vein densities

Frontiers in Plant Science

Plant Science

Peili Fu¹  Yuanqiu Li²  Ping Zhao³  Qinggong Mao³  Guolan Liu⁴  Jiangbao Xia⁴  Wanli Zhao⁵ 

[1] CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jinghong, Yunnan, China;Ailaoshan Station of Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Studies, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jingdong, Yunnan, China;Guangdong Shimentai National Nature Reserve, Guangdong Forestry Administration, Qingyuan, Guangdong, China;Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;Shandong Key Laboratory of Eco-Environmental Science for Yellow River Delta, Binzhou University, Binzhou, Shandong, China;Shandong Key Laboratory of Eco-Environmental Science for Yellow River Delta, Binzhou University, Binzhou, Shandong, China;Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China;

关键词: water physiology;    deciduous trees;    compound leaf;    stomatal density;    minor vein density;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpls.2023.1051692

 received in 2022-09-23, accepted in 2023-07-10,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Leaf phenology (evergreen vs. deciduous) and morphology (simple vs. compound) are known to be related to water use strategies in tree species and critical adaptation to certain climatic conditions. However, the effect of these two traits and their interactions on the coordination between minor vein density (MVD) and stomatal density (SD) remains unclear. In this study, we examined the leaves of 108 tree species from plots in a primary subtropical forest in southern China, including tree species with different leaf morphologies and phenologies. We assessed nine leaf water-related functional traits for all species, including MVD, SD, leaf area (LA), minor vein thickness (MVT), and stomatal length (SL). The results showed no significant differences in mean LA and SD between either functional group (simple vs. compound and evergreen vs. deciduous). However, deciduous trees displayed a significantly higher mean MVD compared to evergreen trees. Similarly, compound-leaved trees have a higher (marginally significant) MVD than simple-leaved trees. Furthermore, we found that leaf morphology and phenology have significantly interactive effects on SL, and the compound-leafed deciduous trees exhibited the largest average SL among the four groups. There were significant correlations between the MVD and SD in all different tree groups; however, the slopes and interceptions differed within both morphology and phenology. Our results indicate that MVD, rather than SD, may be the more flexible structure for supporting the coordination between leaf water supply and demand in different leaf morphologies and phenologies. The results of the present study provide mechanistic understandings of the functional advantages of different leaf types, which may involve species fitness in community assembly and divergent responses to climate changes.

【 授权许可】

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Copyright © 2023 Zhao, Fu, Mao, Liu, Li, Xia and Zhao