How Do Habitat and Seasonality Shape the Adaptive Strategies of Madhuca indica Gmel? Habitat and Seasonality in Madhuca indica

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the morphological, physiological, and ecological responses of Madhuca indica Gmel. to contrasting environmental conditions in wild and cultivated habitats across two distinct seasons (monsoon and summer). To assess the impact of habitat and seasonality, we compared four cultivated and four wild individuals based on foliar biomass, leaf relative water content, leaf area, trichome density, stomatal density, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and other morphological parameters. While we anticipated significant differences between wild and cultivated plants, our findings revealed a more nuanced response. A comparative analysis of the two habitats and seasons highlighted significant positive and negative correlations (p <0.05) between various parameters. By establishing threshold values for each parameter, we categorized plants as susceptible, moderately tolerant, and highly tolerant. The observed plasticity in plant responses indicates their ability to adapt to specific moisture regimes. ANOVA revealed significant differences in trichome density (p = 0.01), soil pH (0.02), EC, and TDS (p = 0.00) in wild habitat and two distinct seasons. These results provide valuable insights into the adaptive strategies of M. indica.