Variation in Leaf Functional Traits of Populus laurifolia Ldb and Ulmus pumila L. Across Five Contrasting Urban Sites in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Abstract

Amid urbanization, studying leaf functional traits of woody plants in urban environments is essential for understanding how urban green spaces function and how they can be effectively managed sustainably. In this study, we investigated the effects of different growing conditions on the morpho-physiological traits of Populus laurifolia and Ulmus pumila across five contrasting urban sites. The leaf area (LA), leaf length (LL), leaf width (LW), leaf biomass (LB), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf chlorophyll concentration, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, leaf water potential at predawn (Ψpd) and midday (Ψmd), leaf performance index (PIabs), and phenotypic plasticity index (PPI) were compared across five contrasting urban sites. The soil chemical and physical properties were also compared between sites. There were significant differences in soil physicochemical characteristics between sites. We found significant effects of site on most of the morpho-physiological traits measured, except for Ψmd. The leaf chlorophyll concentration of P. laurifolia and U. pumila varied significantly between sites. The Ψpd was significantly different between years and sites. In U. pumila, the mean PPI for morphological traits (0.20) was lower than that for physiological traits (0.21). In conclusion, we revealed significant variations in the morpho-physiological traits of P. laurifolia and U. pumila across the five urban sites. Hence, long-term, large-scale studies are recommended to examine how diverse species respond to different urban growing conditions and to include other ecologically important plant traits for a better understanding of urban trees in a changing environment.