canceled

Climate drives leaf anatomical traits variation in Nannorrhops ritchieana (Griff) Aitch across different phytogeographic regions of Pakistan

Leaf anatomical traits play a crucial role in plant adaptation and function in response to a changing environment. To know about the adaptive ecophysiological responses of plant species to their surrounding environment, we assessed leaf cuticular anatomy in Nannorrhops ritchieana (Griff) Aitch palm across different climatic and phytogeographic regions of Pakistan. We selected Nannorrhops ritchieana for this purpose because it is an excellent predictor and indicator of the present-day climate: distributed in extreme sorts of climatic conditions. We analyzed Nannorrhops ritchieana anatomical traits under the influence of climatic gradients.

Our findings revealed that stomatal number, length, width, subsidiary cells length, width, guard cells length, width, pore length and width increase with an increase in precipitation, specific humidity, and relative humidity and decrease with an increase in temperature, and wind speed. Epidermal cell number increases with an increase in temperature and wind speed but epidermal cell size decreases.

We elucidate that Nannorrhops ritchieana can adapt and survive in a changing environment that complements with maximum precipitation, specific humidity and relative humidity meters by increasing stomatal number, length, width, subsidiary cells length, width, guard cells length, width, pore length, width and by opening the stomatal pore while in dried areas epidermal cells increased in number and decreased in size. Such anatomical responses lead to higher transpiration rates in moist and humid sorts of climatic conditions while lowering transpiration rates in dried areas to keep water potential constant and safeguard the plant from drought. Nannorrhops ritchieana being a species of strong tolerance to different types of climatic conditions could be a proper ornamental element for the gardens of warm and cold phytogeographic regions of the world.

Keywords: Ecophysiological responses, Cuticular anatomy, Changing environment, Transpiration, Water potential

Nannorrhops ritchieana in the historical Kurram valley of Southern Pakistan (Photo, by Abdullah First Author)