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Co-Evolution in Leaf Traits Is Important Contributor to Leaf Water Balance in Dendrobium

Sep 09, 2014     Email"> PrintText Size

Although many previous studies have explored the influence of trait coordination on leaf water balance, these studies are limited by the use of distantly related species, a failure to address the evolutionary as well as environmental drivers of trait coordination, and the under-representation of diverse life forms. Dr. SUN Mei and her teachers of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) investigated the effect of phylogeny on the coordination of leaf morphological and anatomical traits that have an important influence on leaf water balance within Dendrobium, one of the most diverse epiphytic genera.

They measured 11 leaf traits (leaf area, leaf density, relative water content, vein density, leaf thickness, upper cuticle thickness, upper epidermal thickness, lower epidermal thickness, stomatal density, stomatal area, stomatal index) for 19 Dendrobium species grown in the orchid garden of XTBG, and used phylogenetically independent contrasts to test how the co-evolution of these traits has contributed to leaf water balance in epiphytes. 

They hypothesized that (1) species from different habitats have different leaf attributes; (2) phylogeny would have a significant effect on leaf attributes within Dendrobium; and (3) significantly correlated evolution would occur in different leaf traits to maintain leaf water balance, due to their shared selective pressure of water limitation. 

They found that more closely correlated species had similar habitats, geographical distribution, and share certain leaf traits (leaf density, upper cuticle thickness, and stomatal index), whereas such similarities were not observed among more distantly related species. They also found a correlated evolution between stomatal density and vein density, reflecting a balance between water supply and loss. Leaf anatomical and morphological traits such as leaf thickness, leaf epidermis, leaf area, and leaf density played an important role in regulating leaf water balance in Dendrobium.  

The study showed that both habitat and phylogeny affected the variation of leaf traits within Dendrobium, and that significant correlated evolution had occurred in most of the tested leaf traits to maintain leaf water balance.

The study entitled Correlated evolution in traits influencing leaf water balance in Dendrobium(Orchidaceae)” has been published in Plant Ecology.

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