Affiliation:
1. University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Fruit growing, Viticulture, Horticulture and Landscape architecture, Novi Sad, Serbia + University of Novi Sad, Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, Novi Sad, Serbia
2. University of Novi Sad, Institute of Lowland Forestry and Environment, Novi Sad, Serbia
3. Edukons University, Faculty of Ecological Agriculture, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia
Abstract
In the present study, variations of leaf stomatal traits for fourteen
European beech provenances (Fagus sylvatica L.), originating from six
countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Romania and
Serbia), were evaluated at the inter- and intra- provenances levels. Ten
stomatal traits (stomatal density (SD), guard cell length (LA) and width
(WB), stomatal aperture length (La) and width (Wb ), pore surface of guard
cell (SPSLAWB), pore surface of a widely opened pore (SPSLaWb), coefficient
(SSC), potential conductance index (PCI) and relative stomatal pore surface
(RSPS)) were examined using methods of univariate (ANOVA and Tukey's HSD
test) and multivariate statistical analyses (principal component analysis
(PCA), discriminant analysis and cluster analysis). The results obtained
provide significant insight into the genetic diversity and differentiation
of European beech provenances and confirmed high genetic variability within
and between examined European beech provenances, according to all examined
parameters. Differences at the intra- provenance level had a bigger impact
on most of the examined stomatal traits (with 70-80% of total variation),
while differences at the inter- provenances level accounted for only 20-30%
to the total expected variance. The results of PCA and canonical analysis
suggest ecotypic pattern of genetic variability related to seed origin,
which influenced leaf stomatal traits in F. sylvatica provenances. Forward
stepwise discriminative analysis showed that WB, SD, PCI, SPSLaWb and Wb
traits accounted for the same level of discrimination, as all the examined
stomatal parameters together. However, the analysis detected considerably
small correct allocation of the model that included all examined traits
(only 38.85%). In order to discriminate examined beech provenances more
precisely, additional phenotypical traits (e.g. morphological,
physiological, etc.) should be included in the model.
Funder
Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia
Publisher
National Library of Serbia