Seasonal dynamics in growth status of newly emerged twigs of Kandelia obovata

Subjects: Biology >> Botany >> Applied botany submitted time 2024-07-31 Cooperative journals: 《广西植物》

XU Bingyan LI Jian HONG Tao

Abstract： Newly emerged twigs are the most active part of plant branching systems and are most sensitive to changes in habitat such as light and temperature. Analyzing the differences in stem and leaf characteristics of the twigs and evaluating their growth status is crucial for understanding the growth and survival strategies of plants and their adaptability mechanisms. As an evergreen broad-leaved shrub, the crown of Kandelia obovata produces a certain number of the twigs in different seasons within a year. To gain a deeper understanding of the growth status and seasonal dynamics of the twigs of Kandelia obovata, this study investigated the growth traits of the stems and leaves of the twigs. Statistical methods such as variance analysis, multiple comparisons, and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to comprehensively evaluate the growth performance of the twigs in different seasons and to explore the growth and survival strategies of mangrove plants, represented by Kandelia obovata. The results were as follows: (1) The 14 trait indicators characterizing the growth status of the twigs showed significant variation, with a coefficient of variation ranging from 13.856% to 56.469%, and a strong correlation between the indicators. (2) The growth traits of the twigs varied significantly in different seasons, with the overall performance being highest in July followed by May, March, and October. Additionally, the importance of the growth traits was ranked as follows: leaf traits > biomass > stem configuration. (3) The total weight proportion of the 7 trait indicators such as leaf density, the ratio of leaf and stem biomass, leaf number, leaf biomass, large leaf area, stem length, and leaf area ratio was 87.146%, which were the key indicators characterizing the growth status of the twigs of Kandelia obovata. In conclusion, the growth status of the twigs reflects the adaptation strategy of the tree to resource levels, influenced by external factors such as light and temperature, as well as internal growth strategies. These research results provide insight into the response of the twigs to environmental changes in different seasons and offer a reference basis for the protection and sustainable development of Kandelia obovata population.

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