Leaf characteristics and morphophysiological features of selected vascular plants in goltsy deserts of the Khibiny Mountains (Kola Peninsula)

The stability of biota in the extreme conditions of the goltsy deserts during ongoing climate change is determined by the adaptive characteristics of individual species. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of vascular plants (Salix polaris, Salix hastata, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Carex bigelowii, and Luzula arcuata) to the conditions of existence in the Khibiny goltsy deserts. The assessment was based on the morphological and anatomical leaf structures, pigment content and the intensity of photosynthesis. Biomorphological adaptations of high-altitude plants include miniaturization, plagiotropy, and compactization. The leaves of the studied plant species in the goltsy deserts exhibit features characteristic of mesophytes and xerophytes. For deciduous shrubs, a dorsoventral leaf structure with a high palisade coefficient was observed. For herbaceous perennials, a homogeneous type of mesophyll structure with a uniform distribution of chloroplasts and a thick cuticle was observed. The chlorophyll and carotenoid content ranges were comparable to those of the same species in the Khibiny mountain tundra belt and the Arctic tundra of Western Svalbard, indicating genetic determinism in the chlorophyll content of these species. The highest values of photosynthetic activity were found in graminoids (Carex bigelowii and Luzula arcuata) and Salix polaris. The characteristics of these species provide greater stability in the extreme conditions of the goltsy deserts and under climate change. Saxifraga oppositifolia exhibited the lowest values of photosynthetic activity.