Effect of elevation and genotype on leaf morphological variation in Pistacia atlantica subsp. mutica in southern Yazd province forest

In this research to investigate effects of elevation and genotype on leaf morphological traits of Pistacia atlantica subsp. mutica, three populations were selected at 1850, 2050 and 2400 meters above sea level in Bagh Shadi forest, Yazd province. From one population, five trees and two other populations, ten trees were randomly selected and some morphological traits of them were recorded. From each tree, a number of leaves were collected and intermixed. Then, five leaves from each tree were selected randomly and 12 traits such as leaf dimensions, fresh and dry weight of leaves were measured. Then, by using variance analysis and mean comparison using Duncan's method and Pearson correlation, the measured traits were analyzed. Results showed that there was a significant difference in the studied traits among the three populations. There was a significant difference between trees in each population. Finally, the best trees in each population were introduced based on the important traits. Based on the results, trees 6, 7, 8 and 9 of population A, trees 1, 3, 4, 8 and 9 of population B and all trees of population C, especially tree number 5, are introduced as trees with the best leaf phenotype. In addition, the population C was chosen as the best population. The observed diversity can be related to the role of elevation and the genetic structure of trees, which can also be considered as a kind of adaptation and physiological response of the trees to environmental conditions.