The reason leaves are different in size

The leaf size of plants in the world varies widely, depending on the temperature and rainfall in the area in which it lives.

Each species has different shape and leaf size.(Photo: BBC.)

On Earth there are hundreds of thousands of different plant species, from small mountain trees to giant palm trees in the rainforest. Their leaf area changes from less than 1 mm2 to more than 1 m2, according to BBC.

Since the 19th century, scientists have found that broad-leaf species dominate the rainforest while small-leafed trees live in arid deserts and high latitudes. They said that the difference in leaf size is related to water and temperature.

For example, banana leaves are larger than heather (heather) about 1 million times."A banana leaf can be very large because bananas grow in very hot and humid places. Our research indicates that if there is enough water in the soil, there is almost no limit to the size of the leaves." Ian Wright at Macquarie University, Australia, said.

According to Wright, too large leaves are at risk of freezing at night in cold climates or being burned in hot climates. Therefore, the maximum size of leaves is mainly determined by temperature and rainfall in the area.

Photosynthesis is the most basic process of plants, in which carbon dioxide (CO2) reacts with water through solar energy to produce glucose and oxygen. Temperature, CO2 concentration and light intensity are factors that can limit the rate of photosynthesis.

"With a better understanding of photosynthesis, one of the important factors affecting leaf size, we can predict the change of future vegetation types to adapt to changes. climate, " Wright said.