Leaf wettability decreases along an extreme altitudinal gradient.
1Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Oecologia
|September 4, 2009
Summary
Leaf wettability, crucial for plant function, decreases with altitude in the Himalayas. Colder, drier environments promote non-wettable leaves, reducing risks from surface water and ice nucleation.
Area of Science:
- Plant Ecology
- Functional Trait Analysis
- Environmental Adaptation
Background:
- Leaf surface wettability significantly impacts plant physiology, affecting water absorption, gas exchange, and susceptibility to pathogens and pollutants.
- Understanding how environmental factors shape leaf wettability is crucial for predicting plant responses to diverse climatic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of altitudinal gradients and microclimates on leaf wettability in Himalayan plant species.
- To correlate leaf wettability with environmental variables such as temperature, humidity, and habitat (understorey vs. open).
Main Methods:
- Measured leaf wettability using droplet contact angle (theta), retention, and inclination across 227 plant species along an altitudinal gradient (186-5,268 m) in the Nepalese Himalayas.
- Compared leaf wettability between understorey and open-habitat plants and between humid (southern) and dry (northern) slopes.
Main Results:
- Leaf wettability significantly decreased with increasing altitude, correlating with a decrease in atmospheric temperature.
- Tropical/subtropical leaves were highly wettable (theta < 90°), temperate leaves were non-wettable (110° < theta < 130°), and alpine leaves were highly non-wettable (130° < theta < 150°).
- Leaves from open sites and drier northern slopes exhibited lower wettability, with high non-wettability linked to better droplet runoff and pubescence at higher altitudes.
Conclusions:
- Plant leaf wettability is a plastic trait that adapts to environmental conditions, particularly temperature and humidity.
- Development of non-wettable leaf surfaces is favored in cold, dry environments to mitigate negative effects of adhering surface water, such as ice nucleation and pathogen spread.
- Leaf wettability is a key functional trait for plant survival and adaptation across diverse ecological niches.
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