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Do Eugenia hiemalis seedling leaves under different light conditions develop phenotypic plasticity?

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Abstract

Leaf light responses, especially structural aspects, are well studied in adult tropical tree species. However, there is still a gap in the knowledge of these plastic responses on first developed leaves, which may be important to seedling survival in variable environments. An experimental approach was used to test the hypothesis that phenotypic plasticity is expressed in first leaves in response to different light intensities. This study was conducted in the Upper Paraná River floodplain, near Porto Rico city (22°55′S, 53°10′W), Southeast Brazil. We quantified the responses of 40 morphological and anatomical traits in first leaves of Eugenia hiemalis Cambess. (Myrtaceae), a riparian shrub that occurs in deep shade and full sun exposure. Seedlings were grown under four treatments: 100, 50, 30, and 0.3 % of full sunlight. Lamina and petiole size was larger in leaves exposed to 0.3 % of full sunlight than in full sun leaves, which have greater leaf thickness, palisade parenchyma, stomatal density, xylem area, and vascular density. Intermediate values were found in 50 and 30 % of full sunlight. The morphological and anatomical variability of E. hiemalis first leaves results from plasticity onset and is regarded as an advantage to seedlings exposed to different light conditions.

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Acknowledgments

We thank CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Brazil) and CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil) for their support to the accomplishment of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Course in Ecology of Continental Aquatic Environments, State University of Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Maringá, PR, CEP 87020-900, Brazil

    Kariny Cari Nascimento

  2. Department of Biology, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Av. Colombo, 5790, Maringá, PR, CEP 87020-900, Brazil

    Lindamir Hernandez Pastorini, Mariza Barion Romagnolo & Luiz Antonio de Souza

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  1. Kariny Cari Nascimento
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  2. Lindamir Hernandez Pastorini
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  3. Mariza Barion Romagnolo
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Correspondence to Kariny Cari Nascimento.

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Communicated by Erik P Hamerlynck, Ph.D.

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Nascimento, K.C., Pastorini, L.H., Romagnolo, M.B. et al. Do Eugenia hiemalis seedling leaves under different light conditions develop phenotypic plasticity?. Plant Ecol 216, 1571–1581 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-015-0540-2

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