TITLE:
Anatomical and Adaptation Features of Pistacia atlantica Desf. to Adverse Climate Conditions in Algeria
AUTHORS:
Mohamed Amara, Mohammed Bouazza, Mohannad G. Al-Saghir
KEYWORDS:
Pistacia atlantica, Xeromorphic, Anatomy, Adaptation, Arid/Semi-Arid, Algeria
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.8 No.2,
January
20,
2017
ABSTRACT: This work was conducted to assess the anatomical
features of Pistacia atlantica Desf. under Mediterranean semi-arid climate conditions. In this study, phytoecological approach
was used at different observation scales including the large ecological scale.
11 samples of P. atlantica species
were randomly selected in order to study the anatomy of leaves and
branches. The results show that leaves have palisade parenchyma occupying almost the entire mesophyll, measuring 100 to 170 μm. While in branches,
the only pith occupies 38% followed by the xylem (24%), relative to the rest of
the tissue (epidermis, periderm, collenchyma, pericyclic fiber, secretory duct
and phloem). The current results suggest that P. atlantica species has xeromorphic anatomical
characters, giving it great ecological plasticity in an arid environment.
Moreover, this study shows that the human activities are causing local extinction of this rare species in
Algeria.