REVIEW PAPER
Drought-Induced Changes in Leaf Morphology
and Anatomy: Overview, Implications
and Perspectives
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1
Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Department of Plant and Animal Production, Kocarli Vocational High School,
09100 Aydın, Turkey
2
Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
3
Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, 38040, Pakistan
4
Sultan Qaboos University, Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Oman
Submission date: 2023-09-04
Final revision date: 2023-10-12
Acceptance date: 2023-10-24
Online publication date: 2023-12-06
Publication date: 2024-02-09
Corresponding author
Ilkay Yavas
Department of Plant and Animal Production, Kocarli Vocational School, Aydın Adnan Menderes
University,Aydın/TURKEY (Turkey), Turkey
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2024;33(2):1517-1530
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ABSTRACT
The global climate change scenario intensified various environmental factors, especially
in arid and semi-arid regions. Drought is one of the most severe environmental stresses affecting plant
productivity. Plants in the Mediterranean climate zone are exposed to heat and drought in summer,
and these conditions have a significant effect on plant growth and development. However, in this case,
the entry of CO2 into mesophyll cells is prevented and therefore the rate of photosynthesis decreases
which ultimately causes a reduction in plant growth. In order to acclimate to stressful environmental
conditions, plants exhibit several structural modifications to cope with these harmful conditions.
This review highlights some aspects of anatomical adaptive changes in plants under drought stresssuch
as a reduction in leaf size and angle, stomatal position, epidermal thickness and deposition of the cuticle
to prevent the loss of water from the leaf surface. Furthermore, it elaborates the role of buliform cells
in leaf rolling, structural adaptation in the mesophyll cells, and the presence of trichomes. Mesophyll
cells and bulliform cells provide easier rolling of leaves in case of intense drought. In arid conditions,
the economical use of water by plants is possible by closing the stomata and reducing transpiration.