Leaf Traits and Fluctuating Asymmetry as Stress Indicators in a Mangrove Species After an Extreme Rainfall Event
Climate change, particularly extreme rainfall, imposes stress on plants, which can be assessed using fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in leaves and key leaf traits. FA, which is defined as random deviations in symmetrical structures, is a known bioindicator of environmental stress. Additionally, leaf area...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Stresses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-7140/5/1/21 |
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| Summary: | Climate change, particularly extreme rainfall, imposes stress on plants, which can be assessed using fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in leaves and key leaf traits. FA, which is defined as random deviations in symmetrical structures, is a known bioindicator of environmental stress. Additionally, leaf area (LA) and specific leaf area (SLA) provide insights into plant responses to stressors. Mangrove plants have several mechanisms to cope with constant flooding and rainy periods. However, under extreme rainfall conditions, their adaptive capacity may be overwhelmed and plants may experience developmental stress. Nonetheless, it has not yet been verified whether plants subjected to drastic increases in rainfall exhibit more asymmetric leaves. We investigated seasonal differences in FA in <i>Laguncularia racemosa</i> after an extreme rainfall event and found a significant increase in FA after the rainfall event (t = 1.759, df = 149, <i>p</i> = 0.08) compared with the dry season. Concurrently, LA increased by 28% (<i>p</i> < 0.01) and SLA increased by 33% (<i>p</i> < 0.01) after the rainfall event. During the dry season, the plants exhibited antisymmetry rather than FA, highlighting their distinct responses to seasonal stressors. These findings demonstrate the differential effects of rainfall extremes on leaf traits and asymmetry, positioning FA, LA, and SLA as mangrove stress indicators. |
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| ISSN: | 2673-7140 |