Functional and Structural Leaf Plasticity Determine Photosynthetic Performances during Drought Stress and Recovery in Two Platanus orientalis Populations from Contrasting Habitats.

ABSTRACT: In the context of climatic change, more severe and long-lasting droughts will modify the fitness of plants, with potentially worse consequences on the relict trees. We have investigated the leaf phenotypic (anatomical, physiological and biochemical) plasticity in well-watered, drought-stressed and re-watered plants of two populations of Platanus orientalis, an endangered species in the west of the Mediterranean area. The two populations originated in contrasting climate (drier and warmer, Italy (IT) population; more humid and colder, Bulgaria (BG) population). The IT control plants had thicker leaves, enabling them to maintain higher leaf water content in the dry environment, and more spongy parenchyma, which could improve water conductivity of these plants and may result in

SUBMITTER: Velikova V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7312932 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature