Andrés-Hernández Agustina Rosa, Rodríguez-Ramírez Ernesto C
Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Pue, Mexico.
Laboratorio de Dendrocronología, Universidad Continental, Huancayo, Junín, Peru.
Front Plant Sci. 2025 Jun 4;16:1555607. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1555607. eCollection 2025.
Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCFs) host specialized plant species reliant on persistent atmospheric humidity, including fog immersion obligates and relict assemblages. Understanding anatomical and morphological adaptations in TMCF woody angiosperms is critical for elucidating their acclimation strategies to hydric stress under shifting fog regimes. This study investigates interspecific variability in wood and leaf traits among 10 TMCF tree species in Mexico's Medio Monte Natural Protected Area, hypothesizing that distinct anatomical strategies emerge in response to climatic stressors.
Wood anatomical (e.g., vessel density, hydraulic diameter, fiber length) and leaf morphological traits (e.g., lamina length, vein density, leaf organization) were analyzed across species. Traits were correlated with climatic variables-mean maximum/minimum temperatures, monthly precipitation, and evapotranspiration-to identify adaptive patterns. Statistical analyses quantified interspecific differences and assessed trait-climate relationships.
Significant interspecific divergence occurred in both wood and leaf traits. Wood anatomy was strongly influenced by mean maximum temperature, precipitation, and evapotranspiration, affecting vessel density, vulnerability index, ray dimensions, and fiber length. Leaf traits correlated with temperature extremes and evapotranspiration, driving variation in leaf size, apex/base morphology, venation complexity, and marginal teeth. Notably, hydraulic efficiency (e.g., wider vessels) aligned with higher precipitation, while drought-associated traits (e.g., denser veins) linked to elevated temperatures.
TMCF species exhibit trait-based strategies balancing hydraulic safety and efficiency, reflecting niche partitioning under microclimatic gradients. Temperature and water availability differentially shape wood and leaf adaptations, with vessel architecture and venation patterns acting as key regulators of water loss. These findings underscore the functional diversity of TMCF trees and their capacity to acclimate to environmental variability. Conservation efforts must prioritize microclimate preservation to safeguard these adaptive traits amid climate change.
热带山地云雾森林（TMCFs）拥有依赖持续大气湿度的特殊植物物种，包括专性雾浸植物和残遗群落。了解TMCF木本被子植物的解剖学和形态学适应性对于阐明它们在不断变化的雾情下对水分胁迫的适应策略至关重要。本研究调查了墨西哥中蒙特自然保护区10种TMCF树种木材和叶片性状的种间变异性，假设不同的解剖学策略是对气候压力源的响应而出现的。
对各物种的木材解剖学性状（如导管密度、水力直径、纤维长度）和叶片形态性状（如叶片长度、叶脉密度、叶片结构）进行了分析。将这些性状与气候变量——平均最高/最低温度、月降水量和蒸散量——相关联，以确定适应模式。统计分析量化了种间差异并评估了性状与气候的关系。
木材和叶片性状均出现了显著的种间差异。木材解剖结构受平均最高温度、降水量和蒸散量的强烈影响，影响导管密度、脆弱性指数、射线尺寸和纤维长度。叶片性状与极端温度和蒸散量相关，驱动叶片大小、顶端/基部形态、叶脉复杂性和边缘齿的变化。值得注意的是，水力效率（如更宽的导管）与较高的降水量相关，而与干旱相关的性状（如更密集的叶脉）与温度升高有关。
TMCF物种表现出基于性状的策略，平衡水力安全性和效率，反映了微气候梯度下的生态位划分。温度和水分可利用性以不同方式塑造木材和叶片的适应性，导管结构和叶脉模式是水分流失的关键调节因子。这些发现强调了TMCF树木的功能多样性及其适应环境变化的能力。保护工作必须优先保护微气候，以在气候变化中保护这些适应性性状。
