Leaf Mass per Area (LMA) and Its Relationship with Leaf Structure and Anatomy in 34 Mediterranean Woody Species along a Water Availability Gradient

• Published in: PloS one 2016-02, Vol.11 (2), p.e0148788-e0148788
• Main Authors: de la Riva, Enrique G, Olmo, Manuel, Poorter, Hendrik, Ubera, José Luis, Villar, Rafael
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anatomy; Availability; Biology and Life Sciences; Carbon - analysis; Carbon content; Chemical composition; Computer and Information Sciences; Ecology; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Environment; Environmental conditions; Epidermis; Evolution; Forests; Growth rate; Herbivory; Leaves; Light; Medicine and Health Sciences; Mediterranean Region; Mesophyll; Mesophyll Cells - chemistry; Morphology; Photosynthesis; Phylogeny; Physical Sciences; Physiology; Plant Leaves - physiology; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Plant sciences; Regression Analysis; Research and Analysis Methods; Soil; Spain; Species; Species Specificity; Studies; Tissues; Trees - anatomy & histology; Variables; Variation; Vegetation; Water - analysis; Water availability; Wood
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148788

Leaf mass per area (LMA) is a morphological trait widely used as a good indicator of plant functioning (i.e. photosynthetic and respiratory rates, chemical composition, resistance to herbivory, etc.). The LMA can be broken down into the leaf density (LD) and leaf volume to area ratio (LVA or thickness), which in turn are determined by anatomical tissues and chemical composition. The aim of this study is to understand the anatomical and chemical characteristics related to LMA variation in species growing in the field along a water availability gradient. We determined LMA and its components (LD, LVA and anatomical tissues) for 34 Mediterranean (20 evergreen and 14 deciduous) woody species. Variation in LMA was due to variation in both LD and LVA. For both deciduous and evergreen species LVA variation was strongly and positively related with mesophyll volume per area (VA or thickness), but for evergreen species positive relationships of LVA with the VA of epidermis, vascular plus sclerenchyma tissues and air spaces were found as well. The leaf carbon concentration was positively related with mesophyll VA in deciduous species, and with VA of vascular plus sclerenchymatic tissues in evergreens. Species occurring at the sites with lower water availability were generally characterised by a high LMA and LD.