Geographical differences of leaf traits of the endangered plant Litsea coreana Levi.var.sinensis and its relationship with climate

• Published in: 林业研究（英文版） 2023, Vol.34 (1), p.125-135
• Main Authors: Gangyi Yuan, Qiqiang Guo, Yaqin Zhang, Qin Gui, Na Xie, Siqiong Luo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1007-662X

Seventeen morphological and anatomical char-acteristics of the leaves were selected from five natural populations to explore the variation in leaf traits of Litsea coreana var.sinensis and the effects of geographical envi-ronment on these variations.Nested analysis of variance,multiple comparisons,principal component analysis(PCA),and correlation analysis were conducted to explore the vari-ations within and between populations and their correlation with geographical and climatic factors.Significant differ-ences in the 17 leaf traits were observed within and among populations.On average,the relative contribution of within population variation to total variation was 24.8％,which was lower than among population variation(54.6％).The average differentiation coefficient of the traits was 65.8％,and the average coefficient of variation 11.8％,ranging from 6.7％for main vein thickness to 21.4％for petiole length.The PCA results showed that morphological characteristics were divided into two categories,and the level of variation was greater than that of leaf anatomy.Most of the leaf traits were significantly correlated with geography and climate and showed a gradual variation with longitude,latitude,and altitude.In areas with high temperatures,less rainfall,and strong seasonal rainfall,the leaves are larger,longer and thicker.This study shows that variations in leaf traits of L.coreana var.sinensis mainly come from variations among populations.The level of trait differentiation among popu-lations is high and the level of variation within populations low.These findings help further understand leaf morphologi-cal characteristics of this species and can provide a valuable reference for the protection and sustainable utilization of this natural resource.