Conclusions
Our study provides a comprehensive picture to describe the spatial variations in leaf trichomes in oriental oak, as well as their relationships with environmental factors and other leaf traits across Eastern Asia. Our conclusions included that: (1) leaf trichomes may possess highly adaptive variation to changes in climate, which may contribute to the tolerances of plants against different potential environmental stresses; (2) leaf trichomes and other leaf functional traits (such as LMA and SD) may be highly coordinated in response to environmental changes; (3) leaf trichomes do indeed affect stomatal behavior, which may further influence water-gas exchange and photosynthesis. Our findings contribute new insights toward elucidating the interactivities that occur between the functional traits of leaves and adaptive plant strategies under climate change.
Conflict of interest – The authors declare no conflict of interest.