Impacts of Elevational Changes and Leaf Maturity Stages on Photoprotective Strategies and Biochemical Traits of Wild Fig [Ficus Carica Subsp. Rupestris (Hausskn)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Three leaf maturity indices were defined as young, mature and senescence leaves. The effect of leaf phenophase resulted in a significant alteration in photosynthetic pigments, whereas site position had no significant effect on them. FPC values significantly increased along leaf phenophase development. TSP showed a sharp descending trend in the final phase of leaf elasticity. On the contrary, the highest TSS value was observed in senescence stage of leaf development. Such a trend was observed for starch content. The results revealed that FPC values significantly decreased along the elevation rise. RWC was significantly affected by both site position change and leaf phenophase factors, whereas ΨL was just significantly affected by leaf phenophase. The obtained results exhibited that leaf phenophase significantly affected six (F0, Fm, Fv/Fm, qP, NPQ, and ΦPSII) out of seven fluorescence variables. Meanwhile, the drastic effect of site position gradient was observed in F0, Fv/Fm, and qP. Severe decreases in leaf pigment variable values in SL are indicators of damage to chloroplasts due to leaf senescence and reduction of leaf moisture content, depicted through reducing leaf water potential. The FPC and TSS contents exhibited descending trends along site position gradients, which is consistent with the amount of rain and temperature. A remarkable reduction was observed in the values of Fv/Fm and Fm, ΦPSII and qP, suggesting the sufficiency of photochemistry transformation is affected by leaf cycle development, particularly in senescence stage.