Rapid Estimation of Stomatal Density and Stomatal Area of Plant Leaves Based on Object-Oriented Classification and Its Ecological Trade-Off Strategy Analysis

Abstract

Leaf stomata are important structures used for exchanging matter between plants and the environment, and they are very sensitive to environmental changes. The method of efficiently extracting stomata, as well as measuring stomatal density and area, still lacks established techniques. This study focused on the leaves of Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall, Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, and Sophora japonica (L.) Schott grown on different underlying surfaces and carried out an analysis of stomatal information using multiscale segmentation and classification recognition as well as microscopy images of leaf stomata via eCognition Developer 64 software (Munich, Germany). Using this method, we further analyzed the ecological significance of stomata. The results were as follows: (1) The best parameters of stomatal division and automatic extraction rules were scale parameter 120–125 + shape parameter 0.7 + compactness parameter 0.9 + brightness value 160–220 + red light band >95 + shape–density index 1.5–2.2; the accuracy of stomatal density and stomatal area using this method were 98.2% and 95.4%, respectively. (2) There was a very significant correlation among stomatal density, stomatal area, and stomatal shape index under different growing environments. When the stomatal density increased, the stomatal area lowered remarkably and the stomatal shape tended to be flat, suggesting that the plants had adopted some regulatory behavior at the stomatal level that might be an ecological trade-off strategy for plants to adapt to a particular growing environment. These findings provide a new approach and applicable parameters for stomata extraction, which can further calculate the stomatal density and stomatal area and deepen our understanding of the relationship between stomata and the environment. The study provides useful information for urban planners on the breeding and introduction of high-temperature-resistant urban plants.