Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Geographical variation of physiological and morphological traits among populations of three Caragana species in Inner Mongolia Steppe

Author(s):

Cheng-Cang Ma ¹ *, Hong-Yu Guo ¹, Qing-Fang Li ¹, Jin-Long Wang ², Jian-Bo Wu ², Yu-Bao Gao ^{1, 2} *

Recieved Date: 2012-06-22, Accepted Date: 2012-10-02

Abstract:

In this study, we examined the geographical variation in physiological and morphological traits among nine populations of Caragana microphylla, Caragana davazamcii and Caragana korshinskii in Inner Mongolia Steppe, China. We conducted correlation analyses on the relationship between physiological and morphological traits and climatic factors (precipitation and solar radiation). With the increase of drought stress, content of osmotic adjustment substances and cytoplasmic ion concentration of these Caragana populations tended to increase, and cell osmotic potential increased gradually. Also, total-water and free-water content of leaf decreased significantly, bound water content and the ratio of bound water to free water increased gradually. Moreover, as drought and solar radiation intensity increased, stomatal conductance, leaf transpiration area and diurnal transpiration value decreased gradually. Leaf hair became denser, longer and brighter gradually, leaf hair color became lighter, and leaf chlorophyll content decreased gradually. In addition, as drought stress increased, catalase and superoxide dismutase activity increased significantly, as a result, free radical content did not increase, and even decreased, in the arid environmental conditions. These physiological and morphological traits of these Caragana populations were in gradual changes, and their changes were corresponding to the transitional change of climate, which probably was the result of the adaptation of these Caragana populations to the continuous change of climate in Inner Mongolia Steppe during evolution. 

Keywords:

Biogeography, Caragana microphylla, Caragana davazamcii, Caragana korshinskii, climatic gradient, geographical cline, Inner Mongolia Steppe, morphology, physiology

---

Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2012
Volume: 10
Issue: 3&4
Category: Environment
Pages: 1233-1239

---

Full text for Subscribers

---

Information:

Note to users

The requested document is freely available only to subscribers/registered users with an online subscription to the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment. If you have set up a personal subscription to this title please enter your user name and password. All abstracts are available for free.

Article purchasing

If you like to purchase this specific document such as article, review or this journal issue, contact us. Specify the title of the article or review, issue, number, volume and date of the publication. Software and compilation, Science & Technology, all rights reserved. Your use of this website details or service is governed by terms of use. Authors are invited to check from time to time news or information.

---

Purchase this Article:   20 Purchase PDF Order Reprints for 15

---

Share this article :