LEAF ADAPTABILITY OF lWO NON·TIMBER FOREST SPECIES Caryota urens L. AND Elettaria carrlamomum VAR. MAJOR PLANTED IN THE Pinus caribaea ENRICHMENT BUFFER ZONE IN SINHARAJA MAB RESERVE, SRI LANKA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31357/fesympo.v0i0.1508Abstract
Caryota urens L. and Elettaria cardamomum var. major are indigenous non-timberspecies which are used as market or sustainable goods and services for human orindustrial consumption. Both species thrive well in disturbed forest areas in the southwesternpart of Sri Lanka. Being understorey species, the growth of these species areaffected by sun light which is highly variable and often limiting resource in the forest.
In a Pinus enrichment study established in 1991, leaf anatomical adaptability of these twospecies after 12 years of initial establishment under the Pinus buffer zone of the SinharajaMAB .reserve was investigated. Different light levels in the study area were created bythinning Pinus trees at different densities.
Lower epidermis of C. urens showed highest (7.75 %) and lowest (6.35 %) stomatalindices in 2 pine rows removed treatment (2R) and 5 pine rows removed treatment (5R)respectively. Corresponding values for E. cardamomum were 6.00 % (highest) in theclosed canopy control (CU) and 5.22 % (lowest) in 1 pine row removed treatment (lR).
The highest thickness of C. urens leaf cuticle (0.2611 ±0.02), leaf blade (22.2711 ±2.l4),upper epidermis (1.7511 ±0.10), lower epidermis (1.8311 ±0.06), palisade layer (6.2511±0.87) and spongy mesophylliayer (11.7411 ±1.30) were observed in 5R treatment thatreceived relatively high light levels than other treatments.
E. cardamomum leaves showed highest thickness of leaf blade (22.4311 ±O.88), lowerepidermal layer (2.1211 ±O.ll), spongy mesophyll layer (10.3211 ±O.57) in 3 pine rowsremoved treatment (3R). The highest cuticle thickness (0.2311 ±O.OI) was recordered in 3pine rows under planting treatment (3U) while lR treatment showed highest upperepidermal layer thickness of 2.2111 ±0.15. Palisade layer was highest (4.74J! ±0.55) inCU.
Results revealed that C. urens shows leaf adaptability to grow under relatively high sunlight levels (5R treatment) while E. cardamomum shows most of the leaf adaptabilitycharacters to grow under moderate light levels (3R treatment).
The knowledge gained by this study is useful to recommend the optimum lightrequirements in terms of leaf anatomical traits of the study species.
