This study investigated the morphological characteristics and regional variations of leaves, flowers, and seeds of Quercus myrsinifolia Blume to understand its ecological adaptation and the effects of environmental factors. Samples were collected from Jinju, Hapcheon, and Sancheong, and nine leaf traits, six flower traits, and five seed traits were analyzed. Significant regional variations were observed, with Hapcheon exhibiting the largest leaf and flower sizes, while Sancheong showed the largest and heaviest seeds. Jinju recorded the smallest values for most traits. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed distinct regional groupings, with Hapcheon displaying intermediate traits, Sancheong larger traits, and Jinju smaller traits. Correlation analysis identified strong positive relationships between leaf length and width, seed length and weight, and the number of staminate flowers and catkin width, highlighting key indicators for growth. Climate factors such as temperature and precipitation significantly influenced morphological traits, with higher temperatures negatively affecting leaf and seed sizes, while precipitation showed a weak positive correlation with seed weight. Among soil factors, pH and magnesium content were closely related to morphological traits. pH exhibited a negative correlation with leaf length and petiole length, while magnesium showed a positive correlation with seed weight and leaf width. These findings underscore the significant role of environmental factors in morphological variation and provide valuable insights for developing regionally adaptive breeding strategies. These findings provide foundational data for developing region-specific breeding strategies and cultivars for Q. myrsinifolia, contributing to ecological management and climate change adaptation strategies.

Abstract
Introduction
Materials and Methods
    1. Investigation of climate and soil characteristics
    2. Sample collection
    3. Investigation items and methods
    4. Floral characteristics assessment
    5. Seed characteristics assessment
    6. Identification of morphological variation characteristicsby individuals
    7. Statistical Analysis
Results and Discussion
    1. Climate and soil characteristics od study sites
    2. Leaf characteristics of Q. myrsinifolia
    3. Floral characteristics
    4. Seed characteristics
    5. Morphological variation among individuals
    6. Relationship between leaf, flower, and fruitcharacteristics with climate and soil factors
    7. PCA analysis of leaf, flower, and seed characteristics
    8. Key Traits Driving Morphological Variation inQ. myrsinifolia
    9. Correlations between traits
Acknowledgements
References

• Seong Hyeon Yong(Post-doc, Division of forest biodiversity, Korea National Arboretum, Pocheon 11186, Korea)
• Ji Hyeon Lee(Graduate Student, Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52725, Korea)
• Do Hyun Kim(Graduate Student, Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52725, Korea)
• Kwan Been Park(Graduate Student, Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52725, Korea)
• Seung A Cha(Graduate Student, Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52725, Korea)
• Seon A Kim(Graduate Student, Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52725, Korea)
• Jenna Jeong(Graduate Student, Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52725, Korea)
• Hak Gon Kim(Researcher, Forest Research Department, Gyeongsangnam-do Forest Environment Research Institute, Jinju, 52615, Korea)
• Myung-Suk Choi(Proffesor, Division of Environmental Forest Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, 52725, Korea) Corresponding author