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Effects of shoot position on shoot and leaf morphology of Avicennia marina in the hyperarid Red Sea coastal region of Egypt

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Abstract

We examined the effects of shoot position on shoot growth and morphology of Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. in the Red Sea coastal region of Egypt. To determine differences in morphological characteristics, we collected shoots from the upper and lower canopies of A. marina individuals in the wild and compared the morphological characteristics of these shoots. The study plot was established in an A. marina mangrove forest. Heights and diameters of individual trunks (n = 14) in the plot were measured at ground level. Then, five shoots with young but fully expanded leaves were collected from the upper and lower canopies of the individuals. We measured shoot length, and dry weight and also area, dry weight, thickness, and Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) value of collected leaves. Our measurements showed that leaf area, dry weight, specific leaf area, and SPAD value of leaves from the upper canopy were smaller than those of lower-canopy leaves in most individuals. From the differences in traits between upper and lower leaves, we concluded that leaves in the upper canopy are typically adapted to high light levels, whereas leaves in the lower canopy exhibit adaptations to low light conditions. In addition, soil-water salinity at the study site was far higher than the optimum salinity for A. marina. Hence, it is also suggested the salinity level at this site may have influenced the reduced leaf size in the upper canopy.

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Acknowledgments

This study was conducted as part of an assessment of human subsistence ecosystems in Arab societies. Our survey was conducted with the cooperation of the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency Nature Conservation Sector (NCS). The authors thank Prof. M. Fouda, Dr. M.A. Tahoon, Mr. T. Mahmoud, Mr. A.A. El Razek, Mr. M. Negm, Mr. A. Nasser, Mr. T. Kamal, Mr. A.A. Aziz, and Mr. M. Fouad for their helpful support in the field work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Environmental Science, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan

    Tomohiro Teraminami & Ken Yoshikawa

  2. Graduate School of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, Wakayama, 640-8444, Japan

    Atsushi Nakashima & Mao Ominami

  3. Graduate School of Bioresources, Mie University, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Naoko Matsuo

  4. Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, 603-8047, Japan

    Ryo Nakamura & Hiroshi Nawata

  5. Nature Conservation Sector, Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency, Cabinet of Ministry, Cairo, Egypt

    Abdelwahab A. Abdelwahab & Amgad A. El-Shaffai

Authors
  1. Tomohiro Teraminami
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  2. Atsushi Nakashima
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  3. Mao Ominami
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  4. Naoko Matsuo
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  5. Ryo Nakamura
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  6. Hiroshi Nawata
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  7. Abdelwahab A. Abdelwahab
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  8. Amgad A. El-Shaffai
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  9. Ken Yoshikawa
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Correspondence to Tomohiro Teraminami.

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Teraminami, T., Nakashima, A., Ominami, M. et al. Effects of shoot position on shoot and leaf morphology of Avicennia marina in the hyperarid Red Sea coastal region of Egypt. Landscape Ecol Eng 10, 285–293 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-013-0224-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-013-0224-9

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