CANOPY CHARACTERISTICS, STOMATAL ANATOMY AND TRANSPIRATION RATE IN SOME SHADE PLANTS

Abdulrahaman, A. A., Aluko, T. A. and Oladele, F. A.

Department Of Plant Biology

University Of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria

E-mail: aaaoacademics@rocketmail.com

ABSTRACT

Twenty shade trees namely Daniellia oliveri, Azadirachta indica, Albizia lebbeck, Citrus sinensis, Citrus limon, Citrus reticulata, Citrus paradisi, Blighia sapida, Plumeria alba, Thevetia neriifolia,  Terminalia catappa, Tectonia grandis, Mangifera indica, Delonix regia, Parkia biglobosa, Anacardium occidentale, Vitellaria paradoxa, Gmelina arborea, Acacia auriculiformis and Bridelia ferruginea were studied to determine their canopy characteristics in relationship to stomatal features possessed and rate at which they transpire. The canopy characteristics vary in all species with T. catappa having widest canopy density (CD) and T. neriifolia with narrowest CD; leaf density (LD) is higher in D. regia and lower in T. grandis. Thirty five stands of each species were studied for canopy characteristics. In each species a total of 700 leaves and 1200 leaf segments were taken and observed anatomically to reveal stomatal features possessed by each of these trees. Some correlations were observed to occur between stomatal features and rate of transpiration; for instance, T. catappa and A. auriculiformis that possessed amphistomatic leaves with heterogeneous stomatal complex types (SCTs) transpired faster more than species such as T. grandis, M. indica, A. occidentale and V. paradoxa with hypostomatic leaves and homogeneous STC. Based on CD, TR and LD, the most preferable shade plants are A. indica, D. oliveri, A. lebbeck, D. regia, A. auriculiformis and T. catappa.

Keywords: canopy characteristic, environment, shade plants, stomata, transpiration