Functional trait divergence associated with heteromorphic leaves in a climbing fig

Frontiers in Plant Science

Plant Science

Yong-Jin Wang¹  Tong Luo¹  Jun-Yin Deng¹  Lu-Fan Chen¹  Rong Wang²  Xiao-Yong Chen² 

[1] Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China;Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control & Ecological Security, Shanghai, China;

关键词: ecophysiology;    functional differentiation;    heteroblasty;    leaf economics spectrum;    photosynthetic characteristics;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpls.2023.1261240

 received in 2023-07-20, accepted in 2023-09-01,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionPlants that display heteroblasty possess conspicuous variations in leaf morphology between their juvenile and adult phases, with certain species retaining juvenile-like leaves even in adulthood. Nevertheless, the ecological advantages of maintaining two or more distinct leaf types in heteroblastic plants at the adult stage remain unclear.MethodThe aim of this study is to examine the adaptive significance of heteroblastic leaves sampled from branches with divergent functions (sterile and fertile branches) of mature Ficus pumila individuals by comparing their morphological, anatomical, and physiological characteristics.ResultLeaves on sterile branches (LSs) exhibited a significantly larger specific leaf area, thinner palisade and spongy tissues, lower chlorophyll contents, and lower light saturation points than leaves on fertile branches (LFs). These results demonstrate that LSs are better adapted to low light environments, while LFs are well equipped to take advantages of high light conditions. However, both LFs and LSs have a low light compensation point with no significant difference between them, indicating that they start to accumulate photosynthetic products under similar light conditions. Interestingly, significant higher net photosynthetic rate was detected in LFs, showing they have higher photosynthetic capacity. Furthermore, LFs produced significant more nutrients compared to LSs, which may associate to their ability of accumulating more photosynthetic products under full light conditions and higher photosynthetic capacity.DiscussionOverall, we observed a pattern of divergence in morphological features of leaves on two functional branches. Anatomical and physiological features indicate that LFs have an advantage in varied light conditions, providing amounts of photosynthetic products to support the sexual reproduction, while LSs adapt to low light environments. Our findings provide evidence that heteroblasty facilitates F. pumila to utilize varying light environments, likely associated with its growth form as a climbing plant. This strategy allows the plant to allocate resources more effectively and optimize its overall fitness.

【 授权许可】

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Copyright © 2023 Deng, Wang, Chen, Luo, Wang and Chen