Research Advances on Experimental Biology of Woody Plants of a Tamaulipan Thorn Scrub, Northeastern Mexico and Research Needs
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International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management 2016, 7(5):1197-1205 HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.23910/IJBSM/2016.7.5.1632a Review Article Research Advances on Experimental Biology of Woody Plants of A Tamaulipan Thorn Scrub, Northeastern Mexico and Research Needs Ratikanta Maiti1, Humberto Gonzalez Rodriguez2*, Aruna Kumari3 and N. C. Sarkar4 1,2Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Carr. Nac. No. 85 Km. 45, Linares, Nuevo Leon (67 700), Mexico 3Crop Physiology, Professor Jaya Shankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Agricultural College, Polasa, Jagtial, Karimnagar (505 529), India 4Dept. of Agronomy, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, PO- Sriniketan, Birbhum (Dist), West Bengal (731 236), India Article History Abstract Manuscript No. AR1632a The present review makes a synthesis of various aspects of applied biology of more Received in 1st July, 2016 than 30 woody plant species of a Tamaulipan Thorn scrub, Northeastern Mexico. This Received in revised form 25th September, 2016 deals with the biodiversity of leaf traits, leaf anatomy, plant characteristics, wood Accepted in final form th6 October, 2016 anatomy, wood density, phenology and few aspects of physiology and biochemistry viz., leaf pigments, leaf epicuticular wax, trees with high nutritional values, carbon fixation, nitrogen and protein contents. The results show a large variability of all the Correspondence to morpho-physiological traits of the woody species related to the co-existence and *E-mail: [email protected] adaptation of the woody species in semiarid environments. Special emphasis has been given to discuss the role of various morpho-anatomical and ecophysiological traits for adaptation to xeric environments such leaf anatomical traits (leaf surface, leaf lamina, Keywords petiole, venation system) and wood anatomical traits and few ecophysiological traits suchas pigments, epicuticular wax, leaf nutrients, carbon fixation etc., which could be Woody plants, anatomy, ecophysiology, related to the adaptation of the species in xeric environment. Different woody species pigments, adaptation, xeric environments possess specific adaptive mechanisms in a forest ecosystem. This also suggests research needs and put forward few hypotheses for efficient management of forest system. No such inter-disciplinary studies are available on Tamaulipan Thorn scrub. 1. Introduction possess various adaptative mechanisms for co-existence in a forest ecosystem (Maiti and Rodriguez, 2015c; Maiti et al., Forests play a great role in offering great service to mankind in 2016a). Intensive literatures on various aspects of woody trees reducing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converting and shrubs are well documented in two books (Maiti et al. it to carbon in wood as source of energy through the process 2016 ed). This makes a brief synthesis of papers published, of photosynthesis and supply domestic and industrial products few in press and few unpublished ones. Research needs and and function as source of nutrients to grazing animals. few hypotheses are put forward. Therefore, forests are saviors of our lives, thereby urging the need of conservation of trees and shrubs in forests. In a forest 2. Tree Species under Study ecosystem different species of woody plants grow together in a harmony in sharing solar radiation through the process We adopted standard protocol for studying different aspects of photosynthesis and exchange of gases in the above ground of applied biology. atmosphere and absorbing water and nutrients through roots Data were taken on the following species (Table 1). distributed at soil depths. There is a great necessity of research 3. Leaf Traits inputs on woody plant species. During few years we have made reasonable progress on various Leaves play an important role in the capture of carbon aspects of experimental biology of more than 30 woody species dioxide through the photosynthetic process and exchange in a Tamaulipan Thorn Scrub, at Linares, Northeastern Mexico. gases for plant metabolism. There exists great diversity in We give here a synopsis of research results. Different species leaf shape, size among woody species for co-existence. The © 2016 PP House 1197 Maiti et al., 2016 Table 1: Woody plants used for research. Sl. Scientific name Family Type Sl. Scientific name Family Type No. No. 1. Acacia berlandieri Benth. Fabaceae tree 21. Forestiera angustifolia Oleaceae shrub 2. Acacia farnesiana (L) Willd Fabaceae tree Torr. 3. Acacia rigidula Benth. Fabaceae tree 22. Fraxinus greggii A. Gray Oleaceae tree 4. Acacia schaffneri (S. Wat- Fabaceae shrub 23. Guaiacum angustifolium Zygophylla- shrub son) F.J. Herm Engelm ceae 5. Acacia wrightii Benth. Fabaceae tree 24. Gymnosperma glutinosum Asteraceae shrub 6. Amyris texana (Buckley) P. Rutaceae shrub (Spreng.) Less Wilson 25. Havardia pallens (Benth.) Fabaceae tree 7. Berberis chococo Schlecht Berberidaceae tree Britton & Rose 8. Bernardia myricifolia Euphorbiaceae shrub 26. Helietta parvifolia (A. Rutaceae tree (Scheele) Benth. & Hook. F. Gray) Benth 9. Caesalpinia mexicana A. Fabaceae tree 27. Karwinskia humboldtiana Rhamnaceae shrub Gray (Schult.) Zucc. 10. Celtis laevigata Willd Ulmaceae tree 28. Lantana macropoda Torr. Verbenaceae shrub 11. Celtis pallida Torr Ulmaceae shrub 29. Leucaena leucocephala (J. Fabaceae tree 12. Cercidium macrum I.M. Fabaceae tree de Lamarck) H. C. de Wit Johnst 30. Leucophyllum frutescens Scrophularia- shrub 13. Condalia hookeri M. C. Rhamnaceae shrub (Berland) I.M. Johnst ceae Johnst 31. Prosopis laevigata (H. & Fabaceae tree 14. Cordia boissieri A. DC. Boraginaceae tree B.) Jonhst 15. Croton suaveolens Presl. Euphorbiaceae shrub 32. Quercus virginiana Mitl. Fabaceae tree 16. Diospyros palmeri Eastw Ebenaceae tree 33. Retama sphaerocarpa (L.) Fabaceae shrub 17. Diospyros texana Scheele Ebenaceae tree Boiss 18. Ebenopsis ebano (Berland.) Fabaceae tree 34. Salix lasiolepis Benth. Salicaceae tree Barneby & J.W. Grimes 35. Sargentia greggii S. Wats Rutaceae tree 19. Ehretia anacua (Teran & Boraginaceae tree 36. Sideroxylon celastrinum Sapotaceae tree Berland.) I.M. Johnst (Kunth) T.D. Penn 20. Eysenhardtia polystachya Fabaceae shrub 37. Zanthoxylum fagara (L.) Rutaceae shrub Ortega, Sarg. Sarg. native species Cordia boissieri, Condalia hookeri, Sargentia and Summer seasons. Leaf area (cm2) ranged from 0.733 to greggii, Diospyros texana, Zanthoxylum fagara, Sideroxylon 215.926 (cm2), leaf dry mass from 0.006 to 1.463 (g), specific celastrinum, Karwinskia humboldtiana, Celtis pallida, leaf area from 11.833 to 1982.780 (cm2 g-1), leaf length from Guaiacum angustifolium, Prosopis laevigata, Celtis laevigata, 0.700 to 51.00 (cm), leaf breadth from 0.400 to 22.400 (cm) Parkinsonia texana, Forestiera angustifolia and Havardia and petiole length from 0.100 to13.00 (cm). Leaf area showed pallens were chosen due to their ecological and economic highly significant positive correlations with leaf dry weight importance to the rural villages as well as large variability (g) (r=0.94), leaf length (r=0.88), leaf breath (r=0.807), and in morphological characteristics between them (Maiti et al., petiole length (r=0.71) while the leaf dry weight showed highly 2014a). significant correlation with leaf length (r=0.88), leaf breadth A study was undertaken in variation in leaf traits of 34 Trees (r=0.775), and petiole length (r=0.734). Specific leaf area did and Shrubs in Summer Season in Linares, North-Eastern not show any significant correlations with any of the variables Mexico. The results revealed that there exists large variations studied. Therefore, leaf area, leaf length, petiole length has in leaf area (cm2), specific leaf area (cm2 g-1) and leaf dry significant roles in plant productivity and reveals that there mass (g), petiole length and moisture content both in Winter exists interspecific diversity among distinct leaf characteristics © 2016 PP House 1198 International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management 2016, 7(5):1197-1205 which in turn determine distinct functional trends among the parvifolia, Acacia berlandieri and Acacia wrightii having community studied (Rodriquez et al., 2015c). long and compact palisade cells are expected to be efficient Woody plants possess two types of leaves, open canopy in photosynthetic function and adaptation to drought. Future (all leaves exposed to sunlight), others close canopy where research needs to be directed in this direction (Maiti et al., all leaves are not exposed to sunlight for capture of solar unpublished). radiation. It is hypothesized that variability in Leaf Canopy 3.2. Petiole anatomy Architecture may be Related to Photosynthetic Efficiency Petiole plays an important role in holding and exposing leaf and Carbon Fixation (which needs to be confirmed in future lamina to solar radiation, in the transport of water and nutrients study (Maiti et al., 2014b). and offering mechanical strength against environmental Maiti et al. (2016d) made a synthesis of biodiversity of leaf stresses. traits of native woody species of aTamaulipan Thorn Scrub. A comparative study on petiole anatomy of 36 woody species 3.1. Leaf anatomy has revealed the presence of a large variability among species Leaf anatomical structures such as leaf surface, leaf lamina, in various anatomical traits which can be used in taxonomic petiole venation pattern plan important roles in the taxonomic delimitation. Species were grouped on the basis of various delimitation and adaptation of the woody plants to xeric petiole