[Ecological adaptability of leaf epidermis of erosion-resistant plants in hilly-gully area of Loess Plateau, Northwest China].
By the temporary slide method of leaf epidermis, an observation was made on the morphological characteristics of the leaf epidermis of six erosion-resistant plant species in different soil erosion environments (gully, inter-gully, and inter-gully artificial Robinia pseudoacacia forest land) in hilly-gully area of Loess Plateau. Compared with those in the gully, the stomata aperture, stomata density, stomata index, stomata apparatus length/width plasticity, stomata apparatus area plasticity, epidermal hair density, and epidermal cell density of the leaf upper and lower epidermis of the plants in the inter-gully were 93.8% and 90.4%, 66.8% and 76.6%, 17.9% and 9.8%, 36.4% and 47.1%, 42.3% and 43.9%, 199.4% and 98.2%, and 46.5% and 50.1% higher, respectively; while in the inter-gully artificial R. pseudoacacia forest land, the same morphological indices of the leaf upper and lower epidermis of the plants were 66.7% and 106.7%, 20.5% and 45.8%, 11.9% and 11.9%, 37.9% and 41.3%, 19.8% and 21.2%, 113.1% and 52.2%, and 10.8% and 28.1% higher than those in the gully, respectively. The epidermal hair length and epidermal cell area of the leaf upper and lower epidermis of the plants in the inter-gully were 58.8% and 29.7%, and 40.3% and 37.0% lower than those in the gully, and the same morphological indices of the leaf upper and lower epidermis of the plants in the intergully artificial R. pseudoacacia forest land were respectively 25.0% and 23.6%, and 22.2% and 19.2% lower than those in the gully, respectively. The results suggested that the erosion-resistant plants in the study area were able to adapt to various soil erosion environments by increasing their leaf stomata aperture, stomata density, stomata index, stomata apparatus length/width plasticity, stomata apparatus area plasticity, epidermal hair density, and epidermal cell density, and by reducing their epidermal hair length and epidermal cell area.
College of Life Sciences, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China. miaofangmf@163.com
Fang
F
Miao
Hua-Dong
HD
Du
Cui-Ping
CP
Qin
Ju-Ying
JY
Jiao
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D000531:Altitude; D002681:China; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D019441:Plant Epidermis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000502:physiology; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000502:physiology; D031301:Robinia / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology
D012987:Soil