The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of altitude, the position of the trees along a gradient of canopy cover, and the orientation of their crown on leaf traits of 18 deciduous woody species belonging to 10 families in the Fandoglo forest region in Ardabil, North West of Iran. We measured eight leaf traits (leaf width, length, area, thickness, water content, leaf mass per area, specific leaf area, and dry matter concentration) of trees sampled at sites subjected to different light regimes (forest edge, forest understory, and isolated trees). All traits were measured on more than 3600 leaves from 90 trees sampled in two altitudinal ranges (low: 1300-1500 m a.s.l.; high: 1500-1700 m a.s.l.). A two-way ANOVA and t-test for independent samples were applied to test for differences in leaf traits between different altitudes and degree of canopy cover. The results confirmed that species’ leaf traits were more strongly correlated with the altitude and canopy cover rather than the orientation of the crown. No relationship between leaf traits and crown orientation was detected. All leaf traits had significantly higher values at low than at high elevation, indicating that environmental factors such as atmospheric CO2 concentration, temperature, light, irradiance, and wind deeply impact on foliar morphology and function; however, water content and specific leaf area showed an opposite trend. Also, species with different positions along the gradient of canopy cover could have different responses to elevation. Our results indicate that the variation of functional (morphological and physiological) traits in different tree species are affected by altitude and light regime. This might provide a theoretical basis for afforestation and forest management activities in the Fandoghlo forest region.
Keywords
, , , ,
Citation
Jahdi R, Arabi M, Bussotti F (2020). Effect of environmental gradients on leaf morphological traits in the Fandoghlo forest region (NW Iran). iForest 13: 523-530. - doi: 10.3832/ifor3391-013
Academic Editor
Claudia Cocozza
Paper history
Received: Mar 02, 2020
Accepted: Sep 14, 2020
First online: Nov 13, 2020
Publication Date: Dec 31, 2020
Publication Time: 2.00 months
© SISEF - The Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology 2020
Open Access
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
Breakdown by View Type
(Waiting for server response...)
Article Usage
Total Article Views: 31282
(from publication date up to now)
Breakdown by View Type
HTML Page Views: 27331
Abstract Page Views: 1770
PDF Downloads: 1786
Citation/Reference Downloads: 4
XML Downloads: 391
Web Metrics
Days since publication: 1427
Overall contacts: 31282
Avg. contacts per week: 153.45
Article Citations
Article citations are based on data periodically collected from the Clarivate Web of Science web site
(last update: Feb 2023)
Total number of cites (since 2020): 1
Average cites per year: 0.25
Publication Metrics
by Dimensions ©
Articles citing this article
List of the papers citing this article based on CrossRef Cited-by.
(1)
Ackerly DD, Knight CA, Weiss SB, Barton K, Starmer KP (2002)Leaf size, specific leaf area and microhabitat distribution of chaparral woody plants: contrasting patterns in species level and community level analyses. Oecologia 130: 449-457.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(2)
Akbarian MR, Tabari M, Akbarinia M, Zarafshar M, Meave Del Castillo JA, Yousefzadeh H, Sattarian A (2011)Effects of elevational gradient on leaf and stomatal morphology of Caucasian alder (
Alnus subcordata) in the Hyrcanian forest, Iran. Folia Oecologica 38: 203-224.
Online |
Gscholar
(3)
Akinlabi AA, Jimoh MA, Saheed SA (2014)Effects of altitudinal gradients on morphoanatomical characters of
Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & Robinson. FUTA Journal of Research in Sciences 2: 150-156.
Gscholar
(4)
Begon M, Fitter A, Macfadyen A (1990)Advances in ecological research (1st edn). Academic Press, London, UK, vol. 20, pp. 1-281.
Online |
Gscholar
(5)
Bodor P, Baranyai L, Parrag V, Bisztray GYD (2014)Effect of row orientation and elevation on leaf morphology of Grapevine (
Vitis vinifera L.) cv. Furmint. Progress in Agricultural Engineering Sciences 10: 53-69.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(6)
Bussotti F, Gravano E, Grossoni P, Tani C (1998)Occurrence of tannins in leaves of beech trees (
Fagus sylvatica) along an ecological gradient, detected by histochemical and ultrastructural analyses. New Phytologist 138 (3): 469-479.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(7)
Bussotti F (2008)Functional leaf traits, plant communities and acclimation processes in relation to oxidative stress in trees: a critical overview. Global Change Biology 14: 2727-2739.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(8)
Bussotti F, Pollastrini M (2015)Evaluation of leaf features in forest trees: methods, techniques, obtainable information and limits. Ecological Indicators 52: 219-230.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(9)
De la Riva EG, Olmo M, Poorter H, Ubera JL, Villar R (2016)Leaf mass per area (LMA) and its relationship with leaf structure and anatomy in 34 Mediterranean woody species along a water availability gradient. PLoS One 11 (2): e0148788.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(10)
Domínguez MT, Aponte C, Pérez-Ramos IM, García LV, Villar R, Marañón T (2012)Relationships between leaf morphological traits, nutrient concentrations and isotopic signatures for Mediterranean woody plant species and communities. Plant Soil 357: 407-424.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(11)
England JR, Attiwill PM (2006)Changes in leaf morphology and anatomy with tree age and height in the broadleaved evergreen species,
Eucalyptus regnans F. Muell. Trees 20: 79-90.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(12)
Evans JR, Poorter H (2001)Photosynthetic acclimation of plants to growth irradiance: the relative importance of specific leaf area and nitrogen partitioning in maximizing carbon gain. Plant, Cell and Environment 24: 755-767.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(13)
Guerin GR, Wen H, Lowe AJ (2012)Leaf morphology shift linked to climate change. Biology Letters 8: 882-886.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(14)
Hamzehee B, Nobakht M, Asri Y, Bakhshi Khaniki G (2018)Evaluation of morphological changes of
Crataegus meyeri Pojark in relation to some climatic parameters in Iran. Nova Biologica Reperta 4 (4): 320-328.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(15)
Hansen G, Malmkjr K, Gile D (2004)Claims, changes and challenges in translation studies: selected contributions from the EST Congress, Copenhagen 2001. John Benjamins Publishing Company, Benjamins Translation Library no. 50, Amsterdam, Netherlands, pp. 320.
Online |
Gscholar
(16)
Holland N, Richardson AD (2009)Stomatal length correlates with elevation of growth in four temperate species. Journal of Sustainable Forestry 28: 63-73.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(17)
Hovenden MJ, Vander Schoor JK (2006)The response of leaf morphology to irradiance depends on altitude of origin in
Nothofagus cunninghamii. New Phytologist 169: 291-297.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(18)
Iio A, Fukasawa H, Nose Y, Kato S, Kakubari Y (2005)Vertical, horizontal and azimuthal variations in leaf photosynthetic characteristics within a
Fagus crenata crown in relation to light acclimation. Tree Physiology 25 (5): 533-44.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(19)
Kao WY, Chang KW (2001)Altitudinal trends in photosynthetic rate and leaf characteristics of Miscanthus populations from central Taiwan. Australian Journal of Botany 49: 509-514.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(20)
Kitajima K, Mulkey SS, Wright SJ (2005)Variation in crown light utilization characteristics among tropical canopy trees. Annual Botany 95 (3): 535-47.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(21)
Kok D, Bahar E (2015)Effects of different vineyard altitudes and grapevine directions on some leaf characteristics of cv. Gamay
Vitis vinifera L. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science 21 (2): 320-324.
Online |
Gscholar
(22)
Kolodziejek J, Michlewska S (2015)Effect of soil moisture on morpho-anatomical leaf traits of
Ranunculus acris (Ranunculaceae). Polish Journal of Ecology 63 (3): 400-413.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(23)
Körner C (2003)Alpine plant life: functional plant ecology of high mountain ecosystems. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany, pp. 344.
Online |
Gscholar
(24)
Lamont BB, Groom PK, Cowling RM (2002)High leaf mass per area of related species assemblages may reflect low rainfall and carbon isotope discrimination rather than low phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations. Functional Ecology 16: 403-412.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(25)
Larcher L, Nogueira G, Boeger MR (2015)Morphological plasticity and gas exchange of
Ligustrum lucidum W.T. Aiton in distinct light conditions. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 58 (6): 877-885.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(26)
Li QY, Zhang ZW, Tao JP, Liu JH, Yong XH, Meng XF, Li Z, Wang YJ (2014)Effect of elevation and canopy condition on morphological traits and leaf fluctuating asymmetry of a bamboo,
Chimonobambusa utilis in Jinfo Mountain Nature Reserve, Southwest China. Sains Malaysiana 43 (8): 1119-1125.
Gscholar
(27)
Li MH, Jiang Y, Wang A, Li X, Zhu W, Yan CF, Du Z, Shi Z, Lei J, Schönbeck L, He P, Yu FH, Wang X (2018)Active summer carbon storage for winter persistence in trees at the cold alpine treeline. Tree Physiology 38 (9): 1345-1355.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(28)
Liu C, Li Y, Xu L, Chen Z, He N (2019)Variation in leaf morphological, stomatal, and anatomical traits and their relationships in temperate and subtropical forests. Scientific Reports 9 (1): 20684.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(29)
Milla R, Giménez-Benavides L, Escudero A, Reich PB (2009)Intra and interspecific performance in growth and reproduction increase with altitude: a case study with two
Saxifraga species from northern Spain. Functional Ecology 23: 111-118.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(30)
Mohebbi Bijarpas M, Rostami Shahraji T, Samizadeh H (2019a)Changes in leaf morphological characteristics of
Fagus orientalis Lipesky along altitudinal gradients (Case study: Gilan forests, Masal). Journal of Forest Research and Development 5 (1): 27-40. [In Persian]
Gscholar
(31)
Mohebbi Bijarpas M, Rostami Shahraji T, Samizadeh H (2019b)Effect of elevation gradient on morphological and physiological responses of
Fagus orientalis Lipsky leaves in Guilan forests. Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research 26 (4): 577-590. [In Persian]
Gscholar
(32)
Neyret M, Bentley LP, Oliveras I, Marimon BS, Marimon-Junior BH, Almeida De Oliveira E, Barbosa Passos F, Castro Ccoscco R, Dos Santos J, Matias Reis S, Morandi PS, Rayme Paucar G, Robles Cáceres A, Valdez Tejeira Y, Yllanes Choque Y, Salinas N, Shenkin A, Asner GP, Díaz S, Enquist BJ, Malhi Y (2016)Examining variation in the leaf mass per area of dominant species across two contrasting tropical gradients in light of community assembly. Ecology Evolution 6 (16): 5674-89.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(33)
Paridari IC, Seyed Gholamali J, Sonboli A, Zarafshar M, Bruschi P (2013)Leaf macro- and micro-morphological altitudinal variability of
Carpinus betulus in the Hyrcanian forest (Iran). Journal of Forestry Research 24 (2): 301-307.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(34)
Petit G, Anfodillo T, Carraro V, Grani F, Carrer M (2011)Hydraulic con-straints limit height growth in trees at high altitude. New Phytologist 189: 241-252.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(35)
Pierce S, Brusa G, Sartori M, Cerabolini BEL (2012)Combined use of leaf size and economics traits allows direct comparison of hydrophyte and terrestrial herbaceous adaptive strategies. Annals of Botany 109: 1047-1053.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(36)
Poorter H, Niinemets U, Poorter L, Wright IJ, Villar R (2009)Causes and consequences of variation in leaf mass per area (LMA): a meta-analysis. New Phytologist 182: 565-588.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(37)
Pérez-Harguindeguy N, Díaz S, Garnier E, Lavorel S, Poorter H, Jaureguiberry P (2013)New handbook for standardized measurement of plant functional traits worldwide. Australian Journal of Botany 61: 167-234.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(38)
Rajsnerová P, Klem K, Holub P, Novotná K, Vecerová K, Kozáciková M, Rivas-Ubach Jordi Sardans A, Marek MV, Peñuelas J, Urban O (2015)Morphological, biochemical and physiological traits of upper and lower canopy leaves of European beech tend to converge with increasing altitude. Tree Physiology 35: 47-60.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(39)
Soethe N, Lehmann J, Engels C (2008)Nutrient availability at different altitudes in a tropical montane forest in Ecuador. Journal of Tropical Ecology 24: 397-406.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(40)
Sprugel DG, Brooks JR, Hinckley TM (1996)Effects of light on shoot geometry and needle morphology in
Abies amabilis. Tree Physiology 16: 91-98.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(41)
Suzuki S (1998)Leaf phenology, seasonal changes in leaf quality and herbivory pattern of
Sanguisorba tenuifolia at different altitudes. Oecologia 117: 169-176.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(42)
Teimoorzadeh A, Ghorbani A, Kavianpoor AH (2015)Study on the flora, life forms and chorology of the southeastern of Namin forests (Asi-Gheran, Fandoghloo, Hasani and Bobini), Ardabil province. Journal of Plant Researches 28 (2): 264-275. [In Persian]
Gscholar
(43)
Thinh NC, Kumagai E, Shimono H, Kawasaki M (2018)Effects of elevated atmospheric CO
2 concentration on morphology of leaf blades in Chinese yam. Plant Production Science 21 (4): 311-321.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(44)
Wang GG, Bauerle WL, Mudder BT (2006)Effects of light acclimation on the photosynthesis, growth, and biomass allocation in American chestnut. Forest Ecology and Management 226: 173-180.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(45)
Wang YJ, Shi XP, Peng Y, Zhong ZC, Tao JP (2012)Effects of fine-scale pattern of dwarf bamboo on understory species diversity in
Abies faxoniana forest, southwest China. Sains Malaysiana 41: 649-657.
Online |
Gscholar
(46)
Wang A, Wang X, Tognetti R, Lei JP, Pan HL, Liu XL, Jiang Y, Wang XY, He P, Yu FH, Li MH (2018)Elevation alters carbon and nutrient concentrations and stoichiometry in
Quercus aquifolioides in southwestern China. Science of the Total Environment 622: 1463-1475.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(47)
Wright IJ, Reich PB, Westoby M, Ackerly DD, Baruch Z, Bongers F, Cavender-Bares J, Chapin T, Cornelissen JH, Diemer M, Flexas J, Garnier E, Groom PK, Gulias J, Hikosaka K, Lamont BB, Lee T, Lee W, Lusk C, Midgley JJ, Navas ML, Niinemets U, Oleksyn J, Osada N, Poorter H, Poot P, Prior L, Pyankov VI, Roumet C, Thomas SC, Tjoelker MG, Veneklaas EJ, Villar R (2004)The worldwide leaf economics spectrum. Nature 428 (6985): 821-7.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(48)
Xu M, Ma L, Jia Y, Liu M (2017)Integrating the effects of latitude and altitude on the spatial differentiation of plant community diversity in a mountainous ecosystem in China. PLoS One 12 (3): e0174231.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(49)
Yousefpour R, Mohadjer MMR, Saghebtalebi K (2005)Study of oriental beech succession in Fandoghlu forest. Iranian Journal of Natural Resources 57 (4): 703-714. [In Persian]
Gscholar
(50)
Yousefzadeh H, Tabari M, Akbarinia M, Akbarian MR, Bussotti F (2010)Morphological plasticity of
Parrotia persica leaves in eastern Hyrcanian forests (Iran) is related to altitude. Nordic Journal of Botany 28: 344-349.
CrossRef |
Gscholar
(51)
Zarafshar M, Akbarinia M, Bruschi P, Hosseiny SM, Yousefzade H, Taieby M, Sattarian A (2010)Phenotypic variation in chestnut (
Castanea sativa Mill.) natural populations in Hyrcanian forest (north of Iran), revealed by leaf morphometric. Folia Oecologica 37: 105-113.
Online |
Gscholar