Alpine plants have adapted differently to extreme environmental conditions therefore they present an interesting subject of research. The experiment took place at two sites which differ in temperature and radiation conditions on different altitudes in the Karavanke mountains. The object of our observation was the lady's mantle plant (Alchemilla moticola). We detected some differences in the morphological and biochemical properties of the leaves. The differences were due to different levels of UV radiation, temperature conditions, and other environmental factors. The influence of altitude is most influential at the beginning of august when we determined differences in the amount of UV absorbing substances, the level of transpiration, and the photochemical efficiency of leaves. Furthermore, the plants that grew in the montane belt, had a lower content of UV absorbing substances than those that grew in the alpine belt. We also detected the effect of the altitude on specific leaf area.
|
