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

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Abstract

Seventeen morphological and anatomical characteristics 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 environment on these variations. Nested analysis of variance, multiple comparisons, principal component analysis (PCA), and correlation analysis were conducted to explore the variations within and between populations and their correlation with geographical and climatic factors. Significant differences 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 populations is high and the level of variation within populations low. These findings help further understand leaf morphological characteristics of this species and can provide a valuable reference for the protection and sustainable utilization of this natural resource.

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Funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32060349) and China Scholarship Council ([2021]15).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Forest Resources and Environment of Guizhou, Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation in Plateau Mountain of Guizhou Province, College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, People’s Republic of China

    Gangyi Yuan, Qiqiang Guo, Yaqin Zhang, Qin Gui, Na Xie & Siqiong Luo

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  1. Gangyi Yuan
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  2. Qiqiang Guo
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  3. Yaqin Zhang
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  4. Qin Gui
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  5. Na Xie
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Contributions

All authors collected samples and measured samples; QG conceived the project and designed the research, GY did the experiments and statistical analyses, and wrote the manuscript; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Qiqiang Guo.

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Corresponding editor: Yanbo Hu.

Guest editor: Georgios Koubouris.

Project funding: This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32060349) and China Scholarship Council ([2021]15).

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Yuan, G., Guo, Q., Zhang, Y. et al. Geographical differences of leaf traits of the endangered plant Litsea coreana Levl. var. sinensis and its relationship with climate. J. For. Res. 34, 125–135 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-022-01588-w

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