Abstract
To compare the application of traditional morphometric methods (TMMs) and geometric morphometric methods (GMMs) in the study of intraspecific leaf morphological characters of Quercus dentata, fifteen linear measurement indices and thirteen landmarks of leaves were used to study leaf morphology of three provenances (H1, H2, and H3). In TMMs, principal component analysis (PCA) showed that leaf size–related indices played an important role in population classification. Partial least square (PLS) analysis showed that the main morphological characters affecting leaf size were the average depth of the lobes and the length–width ratios. However, the important indices to distinguish the provenances were circularity, leaf width, and length–width ratio. The results of discriminant analysis (DA) showed that 74.0% of H1, 68.0% of H2, and 74.0% of H3 were correctly classified. Cluster analysis showed that the Mahalanobis distances between H1 and H2, H1 and H3, and H2 and H3 were 4.3761, 11.4629, and 10.2067, respectively. In GMMs, PCA based on symmetrical components showed that the difference in leaf morphology was mainly due to the changing trend of the leaf apex and base, petiole length, and degree of leaf cracking. PLS analysis showed that there was a significant covariation between the leaf symmetrical components and size: as the leaf enlarged, the widest part gradually moved up, and the shape changed from nearly oval to lanceolate. DA results showed that 86.0% and 78.0% of H1 and H2, 70.0% and 80.0% of H1 and H3, and 82.0% and 76.0% of H2 and H3 were correctly classified. Canonical variate analysis results showed that the Mahalanobis distances between H1 and H2, H1 and H3, and H2 and H3 were 1.7238, 1.5380, and 1.6329, respectively. Both GMMs and TMMs showed significant differences in morphology among the three Q. dentata provenances, but GMMs had higher classification accuracy and could provide more information about leaf shape, whereas TMMs could provide more information about leaf size. Based on our results, GMMs are promising in the study of leaf morphological variation within Q. dentata provenances.
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We would like to thank the Administration Bureau of Hongyashan State Owned Forest Farm in Yixian County for providing the seedlings of Q. dentata and to Letpub (https:// www.letpub.com.) for English language editing of this manuscript.
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Yang, K., Wu, J., Li, X. et al. Intraspecific leaf morphological variation in Quercus dentata Thunb.: a comparison of traditional and geometric morphometric methods, a pilot study. J. For. Res. 33, 1751–1764 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-022-01452-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-022-01452-x