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.