scholarly journals Effects of microhabitat on leaf traits in Digitalis grandiflora L. (Veronicaceae) growing at forest edge and interior

2014 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 615-627
Author(s):  
J. Kołodziejek
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Shade Leaves

The morphological, anatomical and biochemical traits of the leaves of yellow foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora Mill.) from two microhabitats, forest interior (full shade under oak canopy) and forest edge (half shade near shrubs), were studied. The microhabitats differed in the mean levels of available light, but did not differ in soil moisture. The mean level of light in the forest edge microhabitat was significantly higher than in the forest interior. Multivariate ANOVA was used to test the effects of microhabitat. Comparison of the available light with soil moisture revealed that both factors significantly influenced the morphological and anatomical variables of D. grandiflora. Leaf area, mass, leaf mass per area (LMA), surface area per unit dry mass (SLA), density and thickness varied greatly between leaves exposed to different light regimes. Leaves that developed in the shade were larger and thinner and had a greater SLA than those that developed in the half shade. In contrast, at higher light irradiances, at the forest edge, leaves tended to be thicker, with higher LMA and density. Stomatal density was higher in the half-shade leaves than in the full-shade ones. LMA was correlated with leaf area and mass and to a lesser extent with thickness and density in the forest edge microsite. The considerable variations in leaf density and thickness recorded here confirm the very high variation in cell size and amounts of structural tissue within species. The leaf plasticity index (PI) was the highest for the morphological leaf traits as compared to the anatomical and biochemical ones. The nitrogen content was higher in the ?half-shade leaves? than in the ?shade leaves?. Denser leaves corresponded to lower nitrogen (N) contents. The leaves of plants from the forest edge had more potassium (K) than leaves of plants from the forest interior on an area basis but not on a dry mass basis; the reverse was true for phosphorus.

scholarly journals Seasonal leaf dimorphism in Potentilla argentea L. var. tenuiloba (Jord.) Sw. (Rosaceae)

2015 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremi Kołodziejek ◽  
Sława Glińska ◽  
Sylwia Michlewska
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Lower Number ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Leaf Production ◽  
Leaf Mass Area ◽  
Seasonal Dimorphism ◽  
Leaf Density ◽  
Dissection Index

AbstractA pattern of seasonal changes in the morphological and anatomical leaf traits is reported for Potentilla argentea L. var. tenuiloba (Jord.) Sw. of temperate-climate areas in central Poland. Leaf area, perimeter, dry mass and lamina thickness were measured in summer and autumn leaves of the same individuals. Dissection index, density and specific leaf area were calculated. Significant differences were obtained between summer and autumn leaves obtained from the same individuals. The shapes of leaves of the P. argentea plants varied in the extent of incisions between teeth and the number of teeth on the margins. Fully expanded autumn leaves were larger in weight and area than summer leaves. The autumn leaves had lower leaf mass area and density than the summer leaves. Leaves were covered by considerably more trichomes in summer than in autumn. Anatomical leaf structure also changed with the season. The summer leaves were thick, with a lower number of chloroplasts in the cells of the compact mesophyll. Autumn leaves are thinner, with loose mesophyll. Chloroplasts from the two seasonal types of leaves differ on account of starch grain and plastoglobule content. The large variations in leaf density and thickness recorded here confirm great differences in cell size and amounts of structural tissue within species. Seasonal dimorphism of leaves may result from seasonal drought or from seasonality in leaf production, leaf fall or incoming solar radiation. Within this new context of seasonal leaf dimorphism, P. argentea can still be distinguished by the absence of deeply divided leaflets on late-formed leaves. The results confirmed the presence of several morpho- anatomical leaf traits of P. argentea that allow the species to adapt to environmental seasonal conditions.

scholarly journals Forest edge in the Brazilian Atlantic forest: drastic changes in tree species assemblages

Oryx ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcondes A. Oliveira ◽  
Alexandre S. Grillo ◽  
Marcelo Tabarelli
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Current System ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽  
Forest Fragment ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Threatened Tree Species

In this study we surveyed all trees ≥10 cm diameter at breast height within 20 0.1 ha plots in a 3,500 ha forest fragment, surrounded by sugar cane fields, of the Brazilian Atlantic forest to compare tree species assemblages at the forest edge (0–100 m into forest) vs forest interior (>200 m). Plots were perpendicular to the margin. The mean number of tree species was significantly higher in the forest interior (35.4 ± SD 7.1 vs 18.4 ± SD 4.4). In addition, forest edge differed from interior in the proportion of shade-tolerant, emergent, large/very large-fruited species, and large-seeded tree species. Among the 134 tree species recorded, 24% were exclusive to the forest edge and 57% to the forest interior. Our results suggest that both the current system of protected areas and archipelagos of small fragments (1) tend to retain only a subset of the original flora, (2) will converge in terms of floristic and ecological composition (biotic simplification and homogenization), and (3) will lose rare and threatened tree species.

Interspecific covariation between stomatal density and other functional leaf traits in a local flora

Botany ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessy Loranger ◽  
Bill Shipley
Keyword(s):  
Chlorophyll Content ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Functional Ecology ◽  
Leaf Trait ◽  
Leaf Chlorophyll ◽  
Sun And Shade Leaves ◽  
Angiosperm Species ◽  
Sun And Shade ◽  
Shade Leaves

Despite the importance of stomata in leaf functioning, and despite the recent interest in interspecific leaf trait covariation in functional ecology, little is known about how stomatal density relates to other leaf traits in a broad interspecific context. This is especially important because stomatal density has been widely used to deduce temporal variation in atmospheric CO2 concentrations [CO2atm] from fossilized or herbarium leaves. We therefore measured stomatal density, specific leaf area (SLA) and its components, leaf thickness, and leaf chlorophyll content in both sun and shade leaves of 169 individuals from 52 angiosperm species in southwestern Quebec. Using mixed models, we show that stomatal density decreases allometrically with increasing SLA and chlorophyll content, and increases allometrically with increasing lamina thickness. The sun–shade contrast changes the intercepts, but not the slopes, of these relationships. It is important to take into consideration these relations when correlating stomatal density with [CO2], to avoid spurious interpretations.

scholarly journals Effect of GA3, KNO3, and removing of basal point of seeds on germination of sweet granadilla (Passiflora ligularis Juss) and yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa)

2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 853-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julián Cárdenas ◽  
Carlos Carranza ◽  
Diego Miranda ◽  
Stanislav Magnitskiy
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Germination Rate ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Passion Fruit ◽  
Initial Growth ◽  
Passiflora Edulis ◽  
Mean Germination Time ◽  
Previously Treated ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Yellow Passion Fruit

Passiflora seeds germinate erratically presenting difficulties for their handling in a greenhouse. The effect of removing of basal point of seeds (RB) and pre-imbibition of seeds of sweet granadilla and yellow passion fruit in 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg mL-1 solutions of gibberellic acid (GA3) or 0.1% KNO3 solution was studied. The experiment was conducted in greenhouses in La Plata, Colombia. Two accessions PrJ1 and PrJ2 of sweet granadilla were evaluated. There were calculated the final percentage of germination (PG), mean germination time (MGT), and the mean germination rate (MGR). The leaf area and dry mass of seedlings were measured 22 days after sowing (das); with this data, specific leaf area and relation root/shoot were calculated. In all cases, the highest germination percentages were achieved treating seeds with KNO3 (89, 92, and 87% for yellow passion fruit, PrJ2, and PrJ1, respectively), but the increase in MGR (3.3 germinated seeds per day) and the decrease in MGT (16 days) were only significant for PrJ1. RB had a significant reduction of PG in all cases (28, 12, and 33% for passion fruit, PrJ2 and PrJ1, respectively). With the increase in the concentration of GA3, PG was reduced for two accessions of sweet granadilla, for yellow passion fruit this trend was not clear, no treatment with GA3 showed significant differences with the control. Leaf area (24.07 cm2) and dry mass of seedlings (135 mg) were significantly higher than seeds previously treated with KNO3 only for PrJ1.The solution of KNO3 0,1% is recommended to improve the germination and initial growth of granadilla seedlings.

High levels of anatomical and physiological leaf plasticity of Ocotea odorifera (Lauraceae) in response to different radiation intensities

Botany ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-32
Author(s):  
Gabriele Marques Leme ◽  
Flavio Nunes Ramos ◽  
Fabricio José Pereira ◽  
Marcelo Polo
Keyword(s):  
Gas Exchange ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Leaf Gas Exchange ◽  
Net Photosynthesis ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Gas Exchange Parameters ◽  
Fragmented Forest ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Leaf Plasticity

We investigated morpho-physiological plasticity in the leaves of Ocotea odorifera trees growing under different environmental conditions in a fragmented forest. Microclimatic data were collected in a pasture matrix, forest edge, and forest interior in three Atlantic Forest fragments. Leaf gas exchange, as well as leaf anatomy in paradermal and transversal sections, were evaluated in individuals in these environments. Radiation intensity and temperature had higher effects in the pasture matrix compared with the forest interior and forest edge. However, internal portions of the canopy did not exhibit significant variation in radiation or temperature. External canopy leaves exhibited higher net photosynthesis in plants from the pasture matrix, but there was higher net photosynthesis for internal leaves from the shaded forest interior. Variation in net photosynthesis and other gas-exchange parameters were related to thinner shade leaves in forest interior individuals, and internal leaves with lower stomatal density. Although the pasture matrix, forest edge, and forest interior experienced differences in light and temperature, leaf position in the canopy produced microclimatic variations, which modified gas exchange and anatomy. Thus, O. odorifera shows the potential for reforestation programs because of its high leaf plasticity, which will enable it to overcome variations in light and temperature.

scholarly journals Functional traits of broad-leaved monocot herbs in the understory and forest edges of a Costa Rican rainforest

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e9958
Author(s):  
Philip W. Rundel ◽  
Arielle M. Cooley ◽  
Katharine L. Gerst ◽  
Erin C. Riordan ◽  
M. Rasoul Sharifi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Light Limitation ◽  
Leaf Water Content ◽  
Simple Explanation ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Understory Herbs ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Herb Species

Broad-leaved monocot herbs are widespread and dominant components of the shaded understories of wet neotropical forests. These understory habitats are characterized by light limitation and a constant threat of falling branches. Many shaded understory herb species have close relatives that occupy forest edges and gaps, where light availability is higher and defoliation threat is lower, creating an opportunity for comparative analysis of functional traits in order to better understand the evolutionary adaptations associated with this habitat transition. We documented ecological, morphological and ecophysiological traits of multiple herb species in six monocot families from each of these two habitats in the wet tropical rainforest at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. We found that a mixture of phylogenetic canalization and ecological selection for specific habitats helped explain patterns of functional traits. Understory herbs were significantly shorter and had smaller leaves than forest edge species. Although the mean number of leaves per plant and specific leaf area did not differ between the two groups, the larger leaf size of forest edge species gave them more than three times the mean plant leaf area. Measures of leaf water content and nitrogen content varied within both groups and mean values were not significantly different. Despite the high leaf nitrogen contents, the maximum photosynthetic rates of understory herbs were quite low. Measures of δ13C as an analog of water use efficiency found significantly lower (more negative) values in understory herbs compared to forest edge species. Clonality was strongly developed in several species but did not show strong phylogenetic patterns. This study highlights many functional traits that differ between broad-leaved monocot species characteristic of understory and forest edge habitats, as well as traits that vary primarily by phylogenetic relatedness. Overall, plant functional traits do not provide a simple explanation for the relative differences in abundance for individual understory and forest edge species with some occurring in great abundance while others are relatively rare.

Sex-specific structural and functional leaf traits and sun–shade acclimation in the dioecious tree Pistacia vera (Anacardiaceae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 649
Author(s):  
C. Korgiopoulou ◽  
P. Bresta ◽  
D. Nikolopoulos ◽  
G. Karabourniotis
Keyword(s):  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Adaptive Strategies ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Pistacia Vera ◽  
Dioecious Species ◽  
Additional Energy ◽  
Energy Investment ◽  
Shade Acclimation ◽  
Males And Females

In dioecious species, sex-related adaptive strategies, influenced by natural and sexual selection, allow each sex to meet the specific demands of reproduction. Differences in ecophysiological traits between males and females may rely on innate differences in secondary sex traits such as structural and functional leaf traits. We tested structural sexual leaf dimorphism in Pistacia vera L. and the intersexual differences in sun–shade acclimation processes expected from the different adaptive strategies of males and females. Fifteen structural and functional leaf traits were compared in 50-year-old trees between females with low fruit load and males under sun and shade conditions. Despite the low additional energy investment in reproduction in females, remarkable sex effects in leaf structure and function were observed. Male trees had smaller leaves with significantly lower total conducting petiole area (TCA) and higher stomatal density, water use efficiency and concentration of phenolic compounds; females had larger leaves with greater thickness, leaf mass per area, TCA and maximum photosynthetic capacity per area (Amax,a). The higher Amax,a and stomatal conductance of female leaves were associated with their ~20-fold higher TCA compared with male trees. Females seem to invest more in high xylem efficiency and rates of C gain; males invest more in defence-protection. Sun–shade plastic responses were sex- and trait-specific, but the plasticity assessment indicated that both sexes have evolved an almost equal degree of phenotypic plasticity that allows them to perform optimally under varying environmental conditions. However, the trait-specific differences indicate that each sex displays a different strategy of optimisation.

Patterns of morphological leaf traits among pteridophytes along humidity and temperature gradients in the Bolivian Andes

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kessler ◽  
Yvonne Siorak ◽  
Meike Wunderlich ◽  
Caroline Wegner
Keyword(s):  
Intraspecific Variation ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Specific Weight ◽  
Leaf Length ◽  
Leaf Mass Per Area ◽  
Trichome Density ◽  
Humid Forest ◽  
Bolivian Andes ◽  
Fern Species

Macroecological patterns of leaf traits can be used to assess adaptive responses of plants to environmental stress. Here we present the first such study on a large number of fern species (403) along gradients of elevation (temperature) and humidity. To assess how the representation of traits such as degree of lamina dissection, leaf length, leaf mass per area (LMA), trichome density, venation density, stomatal density, and of adaptive strategies such as poikilohydry vary at the community and species levels in response to changes in humidity and temperature in the Bolivian Andes, we (1) compared whole pteridophyte communities at 14 sites, and (2) analysed intraspecific variation of the morphological traits of 17 fern species along an elevational gradient at 1700–3400 m in humid forest. Among the fern communities of the 14 sites, leaf length decreased with elevation and aridity, LMA increased with elevation, and trichome density and venation density increased with aridity. The study of intraspecific variation among 17 species showed an increase of stomatal density with elevation in six of 11 species (filmy ferns lacked stomata), an increase of specific weight in 15 species, a decrease of trichome density in seven of 10 species (other species lacked hairs), and a decrease of venation density in seven of 10 cases. Some of these trends can be interpreted adaptively: leaf thickness appears to increase in situations with low nutrient availability rather than with low water availability, whereas a dense cover of scales or hairs serves as a protection against insolation or as a vehicle for the absorption of water in poikilohydric species. In arid areas, trichome density increased with elevation, while it decreased with elevation in cloudy and humid regions. For most traits, variation was more pronounced at the community than at the species level, except for stomatal density, which varied much more strongly within than between species. Several of these morphological and anatomical characters can be used to infer palaeoclimatic conditions based on fossil pteridophyte floras.

Dry matter amounts and increment in 21- to 91-year-old common alder and grey alder and some practical implications

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1679-1690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tord Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Alnus Glutinosa ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Forest Land ◽  
Growth Data ◽  
Area Index ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Soil Groups

Growth data were collected from 32 stands of common alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) and 26 stands of grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) growing on forest land in Sweden. The stands ranged in latitude from 56 to 60°N and from 58 to 63°N, respectively. The mean ages of common and grey alder stands were 48 (range 21-91) and 40 years (range 21-66), respectively; the mean stand densities were 1114 (range 431-2994) and 1854 stems/ha (range 546-4031), respectively; and the mean diameters at breast height (outside bark) were 21 (range 12-28) and 17 cm (range 9-25). No statistically significant differences in site index were found among the four soil groups in common alder stands or among the three soil groups in grey alder stands. The mean total dry mass above stump level was 152 t·ha-1 with a range of 73-257 t·ha-1 for common alder stands and 139 t·ha-1 with a range of 82-218 t·ha-1 for grey alder stands. Mean annual mass increments outside bark for common and grey alders were 3.5 and 3.4 t·ha-1, respectively. Mean leaf area index was 2.85 for common alder stands and 3.04 for grey alder stands. Mean specific leaf area was 13.3 m2·kg-1 for common alder and 12.8 m2·kg-1 for grey alder. Some recommendations for management of common and grey alder stands are given.

scholarly journals Leaf morphoanatomy traits in white grapevine cultivars with distinct geographical origin

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-101
Author(s):  
Generosa Teixeira ◽  
Ana Monteiro ◽  
Cristina Santos ◽  
Carlos M. Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Geographical Origin ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Lower Surface ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Epidermal Cells ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Single Leaf ◽  
Leaf Density ◽  
Cuticle Thickness

This study aims to compare the leaf morphoanatomical characteristics of sevenVitis viniferasubsp.viniferawhite cultivars with different geographical origin, grown side by side at the same “terroir”. The leaf morphoanatomical traits analyzed under light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed large variability among genotypes. Significant differences between cultivars were observed in single leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf density and in the thickness of cuticle, upper and lower epidermal cells and mesophyll. Leaf dry mass per area presented a significant positive correlation with leaf density but showed no correlation with leaf thickness, results that can be explained by the quite different mesophyll structure, epidermal cells and cuticle thickness. ‘Alvarinho’, ‘Encruzado’, ‘Macabeu’ and ‘Viosinho’ were the cultivars with the highest thickness of cuticle and mesophyll tissues. Under SEM magnification three types of stomata were identified: sunken, at the same level and raised above, with the same level type presenting the higher percentage in all cultivars. Stomata density presented significant differences between cultivars, with ‘Macabeu’ showing the highest value and ‘Alvarinho’ and ‘Arinto’ the lowest ones. The hairs on the lower surface presented a similar woolly aspect in all cultivars. Calcium oxalate crystals, raphids and druses were visible and widely distributed in the parenchyma tissues. The observed differences in leaf traits among genotypes suggest a major role of leaf anatomy in determining grapevine capacity for coping with different environmental conditions.

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