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<p>Understanding plant responses to environmental constraints is key to explaining ecological patterns and forecasting vegetation shifts under climate change. Elevational gradients, with their varying temperature, moisture, and nutrient levels, offer valuable insights into these adaptive strategies. This study examines the adaptive strategies of three <i>Festuca</i> species collected from two distinct altitudinal zones (1000&#xa0;m and 2500&#xa0;m a.s.l.) in the western Himalaya, Pakistan. Compared to the higher elevation (2500&#xa0;m), <i>Festuca kashmiriana</i> and <i>F</i>. <i>levingei</i> exhibit greater species abundance at 1000&#xa0;m, indicating a preference for lower-elevation habitats. However, when assessed at 2500&#xa0;m relative to their counterparts at 1000&#xa0;m, both species showed significant reductions in plant height, root length, biomass, spikelet length, inflorescence length, and number of leaves. These morphological declines were accompanied by a decrease in ionic content and thinning of root epiblema, cortex, and aerenchyma tissues, suggesting stress-induced limitations on growth and resource transport at higher altitudes. Despite these constraints, both species exhibited increased metaxylem and phloem areas in roots and stems at 2500&#xa0;m, potentially reflecting compensatory anatomical adjustments to maintain water and nutrient transport under reduced atmospheric pressure and cooler temperatures. In contrast, <i>Festuca simlensis</i> demonstrated enhanced performance at 2500&#xa0;m relative to 1000&#xa0;m, characterized by extensive sclerenchyma, enlarged metaxylem vessels, increased phloem area, sclerified vascular tissues, and a thickened epidermis. These traits are indicative of structural reinforcement and improved water-use efficiency, conferring ecological advantage in colder and drier high-altitude conditions. Collectively, the findings provide novel insights into the species-specific adaptations of <i>Festuca</i> to elevation-induced environmental stresses, highlighting the ecological significance of morphological and anatomical variations in distribution pattern and plant survival strategies across elevational gradients.</p>

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Trait dynamics of endemic Festuca species reveal cold-resilience across elevation gradient

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月27日

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  • Khawaja Shafique Ahmad,
  • Syed Mohsan Raza Shah,
  • Mansoor Hameed,
  • Farooq Ahmad,
  • Muhammad Sajid Aqeel Ahmad,
  • Ummar Iqbal,
  • Ansar Mehmood,
  • Sana Fatima,
  • Wisal Muhammad Khan,
  • Muhammad Ashraf,
  • Hazem M. Kalaji,
  • Manzer H. Siddiqui

摘要

Understanding plant responses to environmental constraints is key to explaining ecological patterns and forecasting vegetation shifts under climate change. Elevational gradients, with their varying temperature, moisture, and nutrient levels, offer valuable insights into these adaptive strategies. This study examines the adaptive strategies of three Festuca species collected from two distinct altitudinal zones (1000 m and 2500 m a.s.l.) in the western Himalaya, Pakistan. Compared to the higher elevation (2500 m), Festuca kashmiriana and F. levingei exhibit greater species abundance at 1000 m, indicating a preference for lower-elevation habitats. However, when assessed at 2500 m relative to their counterparts at 1000 m, both species showed significant reductions in plant height, root length, biomass, spikelet length, inflorescence length, and number of leaves. These morphological declines were accompanied by a decrease in ionic content and thinning of root epiblema, cortex, and aerenchyma tissues, suggesting stress-induced limitations on growth and resource transport at higher altitudes. Despite these constraints, both species exhibited increased metaxylem and phloem areas in roots and stems at 2500 m, potentially reflecting compensatory anatomical adjustments to maintain water and nutrient transport under reduced atmospheric pressure and cooler temperatures. In contrast, Festuca simlensis demonstrated enhanced performance at 2500 m relative to 1000 m, characterized by extensive sclerenchyma, enlarged metaxylem vessels, increased phloem area, sclerified vascular tissues, and a thickened epidermis. These traits are indicative of structural reinforcement and improved water-use efficiency, conferring ecological advantage in colder and drier high-altitude conditions. Collectively, the findings provide novel insights into the species-specific adaptations of Festuca to elevation-induced environmental stresses, highlighting the ecological significance of morphological and anatomical variations in distribution pattern and plant survival strategies across elevational gradients.