Ecophysiological Leaf Traits of Forty-Seven Woody Species under Long-Term Acclimation in a Botanical Garden

Abstract

Ex situ conservation plays an important role in the conservation and utilization of plant resources. In recent years, botanical gardens have greatly improved the ex situ conservation of plants, and research has mainly focused on morphological characteristics, reproduction technology, and conservation value. There are few studies on the ecophysiological traits of plants after conservation. Forty-seven plants that are frequently used in North China and were grown in the Beijing Botanic Garden were selected to measure their photosynthetic traits, light-use efficiency (LUE), water–use efficiency (WUE), specific leaf area (SLA), relative chlorophyll content (SPAD), and leaf water potential (φ). An analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences in the ecophysiological traits of the leaves of 47 woody species. The light saturation point (LSP), net photosynthetic rate at light saturation (Pnmax), φ, and SLA had significant differences among different plant life forms. The SLA and SPAD of leaves were significantly different among the families. The LUE of all species reached its maximum under a low light intensity, and species with a large difference between the light saturation point and light compensation point had larger Pnmax values. This research further adds to the understanding of the adaptation mechanisms of plants to the environment under the conditions of a botanical garden as well as the environmental fitness in a long-term ex situ domestication and then helps with scientifically setting up artificial management conditions.

Indicators of adaptability of representatives of the genus Acer in an urban environment

“…The most informative is not the number of photosynthetic pigments in the leaf, but the ratio of the background of the green and yellow groups (Σchl / Σcar). Moreover, a decrease in the value may indicate the gas resistance of plants [20,[27][28][29][30][31]. We have shown that in urban conditions there is an increase in the ratio Σchl / Σcar by 1,1-1,7 times, mainly due to a decrease in the level of chlorophylls and an increase in the proportion of carotenoids.…”

Acclimation study of Smilax nageliana A.DC., a climber species endemic to East Java, Indonesia

“…Acclimation is an important step in ex-situ conservation programs that allows plants to cope and adapt to new environmental conditions (Kleine et al 2021). In the context of botanic garden, there are few studies on plants acclimation (e.g., Rascio et al 2002;Sahai and Sinha 2020;Sun et al 2022). Research conducted in botanic gardens has mainly focused on morphological characterization, phenological observation, reproduction technology and conservation assessment (Sun et al 2022).…”

“…In the context of botanic garden, there are few studies on plants acclimation (e.g., Rascio et al 2002;Sahai and Sinha 2020;Sun et al 2022). Research conducted in botanic gardens has mainly focused on morphological characterization, phenological observation, reproduction technology and conservation assessment (Sun et al 2022). Therefore, more research on plant acclimation at botanic gardens is required to provide a better understanding of the adaptation mechanisms of plants to the environment under the conditions of a botanical garden.…”