Effects of clint on the distribution and leaf phenotypic variation of a dominant plant Lindera communis in Maolan Karst National Natural Reserve, SW China

Abstract

Abstract The heterogeneous habitat plays an important role in the conservation and restoration for rare and endangered plant species. In the karst area, the clints usually cause the soil differentiation of physical and chemical properties, which affect the distribution and adaptation strategy of dominant plant populations. To study the distribution and adaptation strategy of the dominant plants in heterogeneous habitats induced by clints, we investigated the leaf phenotypic variation along the transect from Lindera communis plant to clint (0 cm, 0.1cm-10cm and ≥ 10 cm) within the Maolan Karst National Nature Reserve, Libo County, Guizhou Province, China. The results showed: (1) 483 individuals of L. communis had been recorded, and the trees (DBH≥1cm) were 374 individuals (77.43% of the total). The DBH of biggest L. communis was 10.5cm, which was 6 cm away from the clint. In the 0cm distance group, the tree (mean DBH 2.97±1.71 cm) were 200, and the seedlings and saplings were 29. In the 0.1cm-10cm distance group, the tree (mean DBH 2.75±1.62 cm) were 50, and the seedlings and saplings were 44. In the ≥ 10cm distance group, the tree (mean DBH 2.52±1.29 cm) were 124, and seedlings and saplings were 36. The mean DBH of L. communis individuals was decreased with the increase of the distance between plant and clint. The coefficients of variation of L. communis individuals DBH in each distance group, which indicated that the DBH distribution of this species was uncertain at different groups. (2) The leaf length, width, width/length and thickness of L. communis was 79.71±12.95 mm, 30.17±6.68 mm, 0.38±0.07, 0.24±0.05 mm, respectively. The petiole length and diameter of L. communis was 6.65±1.87 mm and 1.19±0.63 mm, respectively. The coefficient of variation of petiole length increased first and then decreased with the distance from clint increasing. Meanwhile, the variation coefficients of leaf length, leaf width, leaf width/length, leaf thickness and petiole diameter decreased first and then increased with the increase of distance from clint. The distance between the clint and L. communis had significant effect on the leaf length (P < 0.05), and thickness (P < 0.01) and width/length (P < 0.01), and had minor effect on the other leaf traits. The present study highlighted that the clint had a profound influence effect on the distribution and leaf characteristics traits of L. communis. Therefore, we can use the clint as a key node to protect and restore the plant population size.