Altitudinal variation of plant traits: morphological characteristics in Fragaria vesca L. (Rosaceae)

Abstract

The relationships among ecological conditions, morphological characteristics and total flavonoid content in Fragaria vesca L. species growing from the beech (710 m a.s.l.) to dwarf pine altitudinal zone (1550 m a.s.l.) in the western part of the Chocské vrchy Mts. (Western Carpathians) were evaluated on 10 plots. Different habitats were studied using geobiocoenological typology system in order to investigate its ecology. It has been found out that F. vesca occurs in a variety of habitats with different trophic conditions (oligo-mesotrophic, mesotrophic, mesotrophic calciphile, nitrophilous calciphile and calciphile ranges) and as a rule reached significantly higher values of measured parameters (number of leaves, length of the longest leaf, dry weight and total flavonoid content) in the mesotrophic calciphile, mesotrophic and calciphile ranges of the 5th fir-beech and 8th dwarf pine altitudinal zones. On the other hand, average values of specific energy accumulated in strawberry leaves were significantly lower in calciphile conditions of the 4th beech and 8th dwarf pine altitudinal zones. From the measured parameters, mean number of leaves in strawberry rosettes and rosette weight were as a rule increasing from lower to higher altitudinal zones. The results of regression analysis confirm moderate positive linear relationship between these parameters and an altitude (R = 0.33). The flavonoid contents were as a rule decreasing from lower to higher altitudinal zones. The correlation of the flavonoid contents and an altitude was strong (R = 0.77). In the case of dependence rosette energy and length of the leaf on an altitude there were found out the regression relationships uncorrelated.