Functional Traits of Medicinal Plant Species Under Different Ecological Conditions

Abstract

Purpose: To compare the effect of different ecological conditions (one control and three experimental sites in Bratislava, Slovakia) on the plasticity of medicinal plant species, and on the plant functional groups based on the selected leaf functional traits – SLA (specific leaf area) and LDMC (leaf dry matter content).Methods: In assessment were tested thirteen medicinal plant species – Aegopodium podagraria L., Fragaria vesca L., Galium odoratum (L.) Scop., Geum urbanum L., Glechoma hederacea L., Hedera helix L., Hypericum perforatum L., Impatiens glandulifera Royle, Plantago lanceolata L., Prunella vulgaris L., Solidago gigantea Aiton, Tussilago farfara L. and Urtica dioica L. For the formation of plant functional groups according to different leaf characteristics, the metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) ordination diagram was applied.Results: Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) had a more significant effect on studied leaf traits than humus content (their coefficients of determination had values 0.55 and 0.11). Studied species were also characterized according to plant strategies. U. dioica and G. urbanum possessed the greatest plasticity of all studied species. Based on the functional groups we predict the response of the studied medicinal plant species to different ecological conditions. Conclusion: Traits and attributes of plants in plant communities are the outcome of adaptation of species to the environment and acclimation to environmental conditions changing in space and time. Identification of plant functional groups in plant community can provide a better understanding and functional comparison of several communities than the classical approach based on taxonomy.