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Alonso-Forn D, Sancho-Knapik D, Fariñas MD, Nadal M, Martín-Sánchez R, Ferrio JP, de Dios VR, Peguero-Pina JJ, Onoda Y, Cavender-Bares J, Arenas TGÁ, Gil-Pelegrín E. Disentangling leaf structural and material properties in relationship to their anatomical and chemical compositional traits in oaks (Quercus L.). Ann Bot 2023; 131:789-800. [PMID: 36794926 PMCID: PMC10184456 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The existence of sclerophyllous plants has been considered an adaptive strategy against different environmental stresses. Given that it literally means 'hard-leaved', it is essential to quantify the leaf mechanical properties to understand sclerophylly. However, the relative importance of each leaf trait for mechanical properties is not yet well established. METHODS Genus Quercus is an excellent system to shed light on this because it minimizes phylogenetic variation while having a wide variation in sclerophylly. We measured leaf anatomical traits and cell wall composition, analysing their relationship with leaf mass per area and leaf mechanical properties in a set of 25 oak species. KEY RESULTS The upper epidermis outer wall makes a strong and direct contribution to the leaf mechanical strength. Moreover, cellulose plays a crucial role in increasing leaf strength and toughness. The principal component analysis plot based on leaf trait values clearly separates Quercus species into two groups corresponding to evergreen and deciduous species. CONCLUSIONS Sclerophyllous Quercus species are tougher and stronger owing to their thicker epidermis outer wall and/or higher cellulose concentration. Furthermore, section Ilex species share common traits, although they occupy different climates. In addition, evergreen species living in mediterranean-type climates share common leaf traits irrespective of their different phylogenetic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Alonso-Forn
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Systems and the Environment, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Domingo Sancho-Knapik
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Systems and the Environment, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón – IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - María Dolores Fariñas
- Sensors and Ultrasonic Technologies Department, Information and Physics Technologies Institute, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miquel Nadal
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Systems and the Environment, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Rubén Martín-Sánchez
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Systems and the Environment, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan Pedro Ferrio
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Systems and the Environment, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragon Agency for Research and Development (ARAID), E-50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Víctor Resco de Dios
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, China
- Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, Universitat de Lleida, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
- JRU CTFC-Agrotecnio-CERCA Center, E-25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - José Javier Peguero-Pina
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Systems and the Environment, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón – IA2 (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Yusuke Onoda
- Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake, Kitashirakawa, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | | | - Tomás Gómez Álvarez Arenas
- Sensors and Ultrasonic Technologies Department, Information and Physics Technologies Institute, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Eustaquio Gil-Pelegrín
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Systems and the Environment, Agrifood Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA), Avda. Montañana 930, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
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Alonso-Forn D, Peguero-Pina JJ, Ferrio JP, García-Plazaola JI, Martín-Sánchez R, Niinemets Ü, Sancho-Knapik D, Gil-Pelegrín E. Cell-level anatomy explains leaf age-dependent declines in mesophyll conductance and photosynthetic capacity in the evergreen Mediterranean oak Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia. Tree Physiol 2022; 42:1988-2002. [PMID: 35451029 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpac049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Leaves of Mediterranean evergreen tree species experience a reduction in net CO2 assimilation (AN) and mesophyll conductance to CO2 (gm) during aging and senescence, which would be influenced by changes in leaf anatomical traits at cell level. Anatomical modifications can be accompanied by the dismantling of photosynthetic apparatus associated to leaf senescence, manifested through changes at the biochemical level (i.e., lower nitrogen investment in photosynthetic machinery). However, the role of changes in leaf anatomy at cell level and nitrogen content in gm and AN decline experienced by old non-senescent leaves of evergreen trees with long leaf lifespan is far from being elucidated. We evaluated age-dependent changes in morphological, anatomical, chemical and photosynthetic traits in Quercus ilex subsp. rotundifolia Lam., an evergreen oak with high leaf longevity. All photosynthetic traits decreased with increasing leaf age. The relative change in cell wall thickness (Tcw) was less than in chloroplast surface area exposed to intercellular air space (Sc/S), and Sc/S was a key anatomical trait explaining variations in gm and AN among different age classes. The reduction of Sc/S was related to ultrastructural changes in chloroplasts associated to leaf aging, with a concomitant reduction in cytoplasmic nitrogen. Changes in leaf anatomy and biochemistry were responsible for the age-dependent modifications in gm and AN. These findings revealed a gradual physiological deterioration related to the dismantling of the photosynthetic apparatus in older leaves of Q. ilex subsp. rotundifolia.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Alonso-Forn
- Departamento de Sistemas Agrícolas, Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda Montañana 930, Zaragoza 50059, Spain
| | - José Javier Peguero-Pina
- Departamento de Sistemas Agrícolas, Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda Montañana 930, Zaragoza 50059, Spain
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón -IA2- (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Juan Pedro Ferrio
- Departamento de Sistemas Agrícolas, Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda Montañana 930, Zaragoza 50059, Spain
- Aragon Agency for Research and Development (ARAID), Zaragoza E-50018, Spain
| | - José Ignacio García-Plazaola
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Apdo 644, Bilbao 48080, Spain
| | - Rubén Martín-Sánchez
- Departamento de Sistemas Agrícolas, Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda Montañana 930, Zaragoza 50059, Spain
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Crop Science and Plant Biology, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Domingo Sancho-Knapik
- Departamento de Sistemas Agrícolas, Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda Montañana 930, Zaragoza 50059, Spain
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón -IA2- (CITA-Universidad de Zaragoza), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Eustaquio Gil-Pelegrín
- Departamento de Sistemas Agrícolas, Forestales y Medio Ambiente, Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria de Aragón (CITA), Avda Montañana 930, Zaragoza 50059, Spain
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