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Non-linear response of stomata in Pinus koraiensis to tree age and elevation

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Abstract

Knowledge on variations in stomata is useful in reflecting leaf physiological characteristics of CO2 uptake and water transpiration, and predicting the responses of plants to future climate change. Stomatal density and number of stomatal rows (current-year, 1- and 2-year-old needles) in relation to tree age (ranging from 25 to 320 years old), elevation (ranging from 738 to 1,380 m a.s.l.), and sun exposure (sun and shade exposure) were investigated in Pinus koraiensis trees. Stomatal density and number of stomatal rows in relation to tree age and elevation showed a humped curve with the maximum values at intermediate levels of tree age (210 years old) and elevation (1,050 m a.s.l.), respectively. Needle age but not sun exposure significantly affected the stomatal density across tree ages and elevations. Our results suggest that variations in stomatal density of Pinus koraiensis needles are related to ontogenetic growth and environmental factors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Yulian Wei for the use and instruction of microscope. We are grateful to Xiuxiu Wang for the hard field work. This work was supported by Key program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (40930107), Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Science (KZCX2-YW-JC404) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (31170461).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Applied Ecology, No.72 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Yumei Zhou, Caifeng Yan, Xuejuan Wang, Cunguo Wang & Shi-Jie Han

  2. Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, China

    Yumei Zhou

  3. Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland

    Marcus Schaub & Mai-He Li

  4. School of Life Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China

    Lianxuan Shi

  5. Forestry College, Beihua University, Jilin, 132013, China

    Zhongling Guo

  6. Dalian Forest Institute, Dalian, 116039, China

    Anan Fan

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  1. Yumei Zhou
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  2. Marcus Schaub
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  9. Shi-Jie Han
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  10. Mai-He Li
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Correspondence to Shi-Jie Han.

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Communicated by T. Koike.

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Zhou, Y., Schaub, M., Shi, L. et al. Non-linear response of stomata in Pinus koraiensis to tree age and elevation. Trees 26, 1389–1396 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-012-0713-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-012-0713-8

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