Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
3842182 
Journal Article 
WATER STORAGE CAPACITY OF MULBERRY LEAVES AS AFFECTED BY FOLIAR SHAPE AND NITROGEN DEPOSITION 
Zhang, Y; Wang, Y; Zhang, Z; Li, D; Ni, J; Shi, X; Xie, D 
2016 
Yes 
Bangladesh Journal of Botany
ISSN: 0253-5416 
BANGLADESH BOTANICAL SOC 
DHAKA 
45 
741-751 
An experiment was conducted to study the processes of water absorption and adsorption of mulberry (Morus rubra L.) leaves with different shapes under varied nitrogen (N) deposition by indoor simulation. Maximum water storage capacity of mulberry leaves ranged from 7.5 to 10.6 mg/cm(2), and the variations were mostly attributed to leaf shapes instead of wet N deposition. It indicated that even doubled N concentration in current rainfall (from 4 to 8 mg/kg) would have minor bearing on the maximum water storage capacity of mulberry leaf. On the other hand, mulberry leaves could uptake considerable water content when submersed in simulated rainfall within two hours, and the absorbed water was about 40% of the total leaf water content. Dynamics of leaf water content could be modelled well by exponential equation and leaf water retention was enhanced by N addition in simulated rainfall. It was concluded that mulberry with high leaf area index and fast growth would be preferred in afforestation due to its economic value and potential ecohydrological functions. 
Mulberry; Rainfall interception; Leaf water storage; Nitrogen