Morphological leaf traits and their relationship to defoliation in three forage plant species
Plants respond to biotic and abiotic changes through their phenotypic plasticity. These variations can be expressed in traits related to leaf morphology, plant growth, and defoliation. We evaluated the influence of plant age and leaf age on leaf traits and its relation with defoliation in three forage plant species, Tithonia diversifolia, Morus alba, and Moringa oleifera. Interspecifically, M. oleifera showed thicker leaves, higher dry weight, leaf asymmetry, and leaf area; M. alba showed harder leaves and higher specific leaf area. Intraspecifically, in the M. oleifera leaf area, dry weight, thickness, and hardness of leaves increased only in 30 day-old-plant. While in M. alba intermediate leaves had higher leaf area; and, 90 day-old-plant had higher thickness and hardness. Leaf area and dry weight were higher in 60 and 30 day-old-plants, respectively. In T. diversifolia intermediate leaves showed higher dry weight and leaf thickness, 30 day-old-plant had higher leaf area and leaf dry weight; and, 90 day-old-plant had higher leaf thickness. In addition, we found negative relationships between young leaves with leaf thickness, leaf hardness, and leaf dry weight. Defoliation showed positive relationships with SLA and leaf hardness, and negative ones with leaf thickness, leaf dry weight, leaf asymmetry, and leaf area.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | spa |
| Published: |
Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá - Facultad de Ciencias - Departamento de Biología
2023
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| Online Access: | https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/actabiol/article/view/88402 |
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