The geographical variation of stomatal traits indicates the invasion strategy of Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae) in northern China

The geographical variation of stomatal traits indicates the invasion strategy of Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae) in northern China | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The geographical variation of stomatal traits indicates the invasion strategy of Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae) in northern China Hailun Yu, Qi Feng, Jingwei Chen, Wenda Huang, Xueyong Zhao, Wei Liu, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7766638/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background and Aims Stomatal trait variation influences plant functions and reflects environmental adaptation. Biological invasions are increasing, affecting biodiversity and ecosystems. Solanum rostratum Dunal has extensively invaded northern China, causing significant damage to local ecosystem stability. Determining plant stomatal trait variation in heterogeneous habitats is crucial for revealing the adaptive capacity of invasive plants and their strategies for coping with environmental changes. Methods We collected leaf samples from four S. rostratum populations in distinct habitats and climatic zones, measured inter-population variations in stomatal traits to determine how leaf stomatal characteristics vary in response to heterogeneous environmental conditions. Results In extremely arid regions, S. rostratum adopted an opportunistic investment strategy, maximizing the metabolic cost reduction and maintaining the guard cell respiration rate. Under optimal water and heat conditions, S. rostratum developed numerous small stomata across the leaf surface, achieving a large stomatal pore size and high stomatal conductance, which maximized growth through a rapid resource acquisition strategy. Conclusions S. rostratum is a shrewd invasive plant that balances stomatal control strategies by regulating stomatal traits in highly heterogeneous habitats. In extremely arid distribution areas, S. rostratum adopting opportunistic investment strategies. When the water and heat conditions reach the ideal state, small and dense stomata are distributed on the S. rostratum leaf surface, promoting maximum plant growth, and adopting a rapid resource acquisition strategy. The high plasticity of stomatal traits under heterogeneous habitats contributes to the successful invasion of S. rostratum . Stomatal traits Maximum theoretical stomatal conductance (gmax) Geographical variation Adaptation Invasion strategy Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae) Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revisions 24 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 21 Oct, 2025 Editor invited by journal 20 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 20 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 16 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7766638","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":532954936,"identity":"3bec9568-b2a3-457f-b595-f84e3966a7cf","order_by":0,"name":"Hailun 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China","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"plant-and-soil","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"plso","sideBox":"Learn more about [Plant and Soil](https://www.springer.com/journal/11104)","snPcode":"11104","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11104/3","title":"Plant and Soil","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Stomatal traits, Maximum theoretical stomatal conductance (gmax), Geographical variation, Adaptation, Invasion strategy, Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae)","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7766638/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7766638/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBackground and Aims\u003c/em\u003e \u0026nbsp;Stomatal trait variation influences plant functions and reflects environmental adaptation. Biological invasions are increasing, affecting biodiversity and ecosystems. \u003cem\u003eSolanum rostratum\u003c/em\u003e Dunal has extensively invaded northern China, causing significant damage to local ecosystem stability. Determining plant stomatal trait variation in heterogeneous habitats is crucial for revealing the adaptive capacity of invasive plants and their strategies for coping with environmental changes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMethods \u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eWe\u003cem\u003e \u003c/em\u003ecollected leaf samples from four \u003cem\u003eS. rostratum\u003c/em\u003e populations in distinct habitats and climatic zones, measured inter-population variations in stomatal traits to determine how leaf stomatal characteristics vary in response to heterogeneous environmental conditions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eResults \u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eIn extremely arid regions,\u003cem\u003e S. rostratum\u003c/em\u003eadopted an opportunistic investment strategy, maximizing the metabolic cost reduction and maintaining the guard cell respiration rate. Under optimal water and heat conditions, \u003cem\u003eS. rostratum\u003c/em\u003e developed numerous small stomata across the leaf surface, achieving a large stomatal pore size and high stomatal conductance, which maximized growth through a rapid resource acquisition strategy.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eConclusions \u0026nbsp;S. rostratum\u003c/em\u003e is a shrewd invasive plant that balances stomatal control strategies by regulating stomatal traits in highly heterogeneous habitats. In extremely arid distribution areas, \u003cem\u003eS. rostratum\u003c/em\u003e adopting opportunistic investment strategies. When the water and heat conditions reach the ideal state, small and dense stomata are distributed on the \u003cem\u003eS. rostratum\u003c/em\u003eleaf surface, promoting maximum plant growth, and adopting a rapid resource acquisition strategy. The high plasticity of stomatal traits under heterogeneous habitats contributes to the successful invasion of \u003cem\u003eS. rostratum\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"The geographical variation of stomatal traits indicates the invasion strategy of Solanum rostratum (Solanaceae) in northern China","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-31 09:25:51","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7766638/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Major revisions","date":"2025-11-24T13:51:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-10-22T21:48:58+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-21T16:06:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2025-10-20T13:40:08+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-20T09:27:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2025-10-16T10:25:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"plant-and-soil","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"plso","sideBox":"Learn more about [Plant and Soil](https://www.springer.com/journal/11104)","snPcode":"11104","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11104/3","title":"Plant and Soil","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"e13ff2a5-2435-418f-827d-03d89ee73039","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 31st, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"in-revision","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-18T16:36:39+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-31 09:25:51","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7766638","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7766638","identity":"rs-7766638","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}