No evidence of a generalized potential ‘cost’ of apical dominance for species that have strong apical dominance

尚无证据表明顶端优势强的物种存在广义顶端优势潜在“成本”     

Overcompensation and adaptive plasticity of apical dominance in Erysimum strictum (Brassicaceae) in response to simulated browsing and resource availability

In the cases where overcompensation has been observed in monocarpic herbs, overcompensation is associated with an apically dominant shoot architecture of intact plants, increased lateral branching following herbivory, and increased reproductive success as a consequence of damage. The compensatory continuum hypothesis expects overcompensation to be more prevalent in resource rich environments compared to poor environments. This is paradoxical since in resource rich conditions the intact plants should branch most vigorously and hence any further increase in branch number should lead to lower seed yield. An explanation could be that apical dominance is rather insensitive to changes in resource availability, and that overcompensation is possible in conditions where plants experience meristem limitation (due to apical dominance) in relation to available resources. We explored the branching patterns and fitness responses of tall wormseed mustard (Erysimum strictum) to simulated browsing, soil nutrients, and competition in common garden. Competition increased apical dominance and reduced plant fitness whereas fertilization had the reverse effects. Simulated browsing increased lateral branching and had little impact on plant fitness. Fitness overcompensation was observed only among plants grown in competition and in the absence of fertilization – the most resource poor treatment combination in the experiment. The results contradict both with the compensation continuum and the assumption that apical dominance shows no or very little plasticity in relation to growing conditions. Because directional selection gradients on branch number were invariantly positive irrespective of growing conditions, we propose that, in spite of phenotypic plasticity of apical dominance, the plants appear to be meristem rather than resource limited, and that meristem limitation is strongest in conditions where intact plants produce fewest lateral branches. Our results deviate from the compensation continuum because resource availability affected compensation ability more strongly through phenotypic plasticity of shoot architecture rather than via changes in resource availability per se.     

Ontogenetic contingency of tolerance mechanisms in response to apical damage

Background and Aims

Plants are able to tolerate tissue loss through vigorous branching which is often triggered by release from apical dominance and activation of lateral meristems. However, damage-induced branching might not be a mere physiological outcome of released apical dominance, but an adaptive response to environmental signals, such as damage timing and intensity. Here, branching responses to both factors were examined in the annual plant Medicago truncatula.

Methods

Branching patterns and allocation to reproductive traits were examined in response to variable clipping intensities and timings in M. truncatula plants from two populations that vary in the onset of reproduction. Phenotypic selection analysis was used to evaluate the strength and direction of selection on branching under the damage treatments.

Key Results

Plants of both populations exhibited an ontogenetic shift in tolerance mechanisms: while early damage induced greater meristem activation, late damage elicited investment in late-determined traits, including mean pod and seed biomass, and supported greater germination rates. Severe damage mostly elicited simultaneous development of multiple-order lateral branches, but this response was limited to early damage. Selection analyses revealed positive directional selection on branching in plants under early- compared with late- or no-damage treatments.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that damage-induced meristem activation is an adaptive response that could be modified according to the plant''s developmental stage, severity of tissue loss and their interaction, stressing the importance of considering these effects when studying plastic responses to apical damage.     

三种同域分布喉毛花的繁殖分配

以青藏高原高寒草甸中三种同域分布的喉毛花为研究对象,通过比较三个种的植株性状和繁殖分配,探讨繁殖分配的种间差异及其与植株个体大小的关系。结果表明:(1)三个种的植株高度、顶花大小和单株花数目、繁殖分配均存在种间差异,这可能与其各自的交配系统和具体的生境以及相应的生活史对策有关;(2)在三种喉毛花中,投入到营养器官和繁殖器官的绝对资源量均呈显著正相关,未检测到植株生长和繁殖间的权衡关系;(3)三个种的个体大小与繁殖器官生物量均呈显著正相关,而与繁殖分配均呈显著负相关,这表明个体越大,繁殖投入越高,而繁殖分配越低,与以往研究结果一致,这可能是由于繁殖分配与个体大小之间存在异速关系。     

Branching responses in Silphium integrifolium (Asteraceae) following mechanical or gall damage to apical meristems and neighbor removal

Branching in plants increases plant access to light and provides pathways for regrowth following damage or loss of the apical meristem. We conducted two experiments in an eastern Kansas tallgrass prairie to determine how apical meristem loss (by clipping), apical meristem damage (by insect galling), and increased light availability affected growth, reproduction, and branching in Silphium integrifolium (Asteraceae). The first experiment compared clipping with galling. Clipping increased axillary shoot numbers, while galling increased axillary shoot lengths, reflecting different allocation responses among damage types and inhibition of branching by galls. However, total capitulum production was less in all gall/clip treatments than in intact shoots. The second experiment compared clipping with mowing the surrounding vegetation to increase light availability. Mowing increased total leaf, total capitulum, and axillary shoot length and axillary capitulum production in clipped and unclipped plants and in large vs. small shoots. The presence of the neighboring canopy, not of an intact apical meristem, was therefore the stronger limitation on leaf and capitulum production. These experiments suggest that damage and light competition affected both branching frequency and the partitioning of resources among shoots, branches, and leaves. Because Silphium's growth form is widespread, similar responses may occur in other grassland forbs.     

Size-dependent allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction in four clonal composites

Summary Populations of Silphium speciosum, Vernonia baldwinii, Solidago canadensis and Pityopsis graminifolia were studied to determine whether biomass allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction and the balance between them were size-dependent and whether interpopulation differences in allocation patterns could be predicted from differences in population size distributions. All four species showed strong linear relationships between inflorescence mass and vegetative mass with negative y-intercepts. As a result, sexual reproductive effort (SRE) was a monotonically increasing function of ramet size. Genet size was a poor predictor of SRE. In each species, the regression parameters of these relationships differed significantly between burned and unburned habitats indicating size-independent interpopulation differences in patterns of reproductive effort as well as sizedependent effects. Interpopulation variation in vegetative reproductive effort (VRE) was greater than variation in SRE, but neither VRE nor the pattern of partitioning of VRE among daughter rhizomes showed significant relationships to plant size.     

Plasticity in apical dominance and damage tolerance under variable resource availability in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago truncatula</Emphasis>

The activation of dormant meristems following apical damage is an important mechanism for tolerance of herbivore damage, but its impact could vary with resource availability. Here, we examined central predictions of the limiting resource model (LRM), according to which high resource availability can support damage tolerance in plants with deterministic apical dominance, but will have limited or no effect in plants that are induced to increase branching by increased resource availability regardless of damage. We examined these predictions by studying the branching patterns of Medicago truncatula plants in response to both light and water availabilities and their effects on tolerance of apical damage. We used plants from environments that were predicted to select for different levels of apical dominance. Intact plants from the more productive and competitive population exhibited strong apical dominance and refrained from branching even under full light, whereas plants from the less productive and sparser population exhibited greater plasticity in apical dominance and readily branched under high water and light. In accordance with the LRM, these differences translated into differential responsiveness to apical damage: given abundant water, apical damage induced the activation of lateral meristems and increased pod and seed production in plants from the more productive environment, but not in plants from the less productive environment. These results suggest an adaptive association between deterministic inhibition of lateral meristems and compensatory ability, which supports the hypothesis that greater compensatory responsiveness to apical damage could be a derivative of adaptation to other environmental stresses, such as light competition.     

Significance of the simultaneous growth of vegetative and reproductive organs in the prostrate annual Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small (Euphorbiaceae)

To elucidate the significance of the simultaneous growth of vegetative and reproductive organs in the prostrate annual Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small (Euphorbiaceae) from the standpoint of meristem allocation, we investigated plant architecture, meristem allocation, and the spatial and temporal patterns in vegetative growth and reproduction in the reproductive stage. The numbers of secondary and tertiary shoots successively increased by branching in the reproductive stage, and the sum of shoot length was greater in secondary shoots than in primary shoots. The specific shoot length (shoot length per shoot biomass) was greater in lateral shoots than in primary shoots, indicating efficient lateral shoot elongation. The internode length was shorter in secondary shoots than in primary shoots, increasing the number of nodes per shoot length in secondary shoots. Many nodes on a shoot generated two meristems, one of which committed to a flower and one to a lateral shoot. The number of reproductive meristems was greatest in tertiary shoots, and 96% of total reproductive meristems on shoots were generated in lateral shoots. On almost all nodes, the reproductive meristem developed into a flower, and 95–98% of the flowers produced a fruit. Therefore, vegetative growth by branching in the reproductive stage contributed to the increase in reproductive outputs. From the standpoint of meristem allocation, the simultaneous growth of vegetative and reproductive organs in prostrate plant species might be important for increasing the number of growth and reproductive meristems, resulting in the increase in reproductive outputs.     

Size-dependent sex allocation in a monocarpic perennial herb, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cardiocrinum cordatum</Emphasis> (Liliaceae)

The size-dependent sex allocation model predicts that the relative resource allocation to female function often increases with plant size in animal-pollinated plants. If size effects on reproductive success vary depending on the environmental conditions, however, the size dependency may differ among populations. We tried to detect site-specific variation in size-dependent sex allocation of a monocarpic hermaphrodite with reference to light availability. Multiple flowers and fruits were sampled from the individuals of Cardiocrinum cordatum, a monocarpic understory herb, and pollen, ovule and seed production were measured with reference to the plant size in two populations. Furthermore, frequency and foraging behavior of pollinator visitation was observed. Ovule production per flower increased with plant size in both populations, while pollen production per flower increased with size only in the population under sparse canopy. Therefore, proportional allocation to male function decreased with plant size in the population under closed canopy, but did not change in the population under sparse canopy. Pollinators usually visited only one flower per plant, indicating the negligible geitonogamous pollination in this species. Although seed production under closed canopy was lower than that under sparse canopy, seed-set rate per flower and seed mass per fruit were independent of plant size in either of the populations. Size-dependent sex allocation in this species was site-specific, suggesting that not only resource storage before reproduction (i.e., plant size) but also resource availability of environment throughout the reproductive process (i.e., light availability) affect reproductive performance in this species.     

Interpreting reproductive allometry: Individual strategies of allocation explain size-dependent reproduction in plant populations

Size-dependent or allometric relationships between reproductive and vegetative size are extremely common in plant populations. Reproductive allometry where plant size differences are due to environmental variability has been interpreted both as an adaptive strategy of plant growth and allocation, and as the product of fixed developmental constraints. Patterns of development are crucial in defining reproductive allometry but development is not fixed across individuals. For example, environmental adversity (e.g. resource impoverishment) tends to favor reproduction at relatively small sizes – an adaptive response to environmental adversity. While small individuals may have lower reproductive output than large individuals, all plants should maximize their reproductive output and relative allocation to reproduction may be constant across sizes. Thus, where individual plants within a population initiate reproduction at different sizes, no significant reproductive allometry is an appropriate null expectation. Reproductive allometry occurs in plant populations where initiating reproduction at small sizes yields relatively high or low reproductive size at final development. Both of these outcomes are common in plant populations. Our interpretation of reproductive allometry combines previous adaptive and developmental constraint interpretations, and is the first to successfully explain the range of relationships in plant populations where relative allocation has been observed to increase, decrease or remain constant will increasing plant size.     

Changes in Reproductive Allocation after Expansion from the Glacial Refugium and Implications for the Distribution Range in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau Native Herb,Gymnaconitum gymnandrum (Ranunculaceae)

A fundamental goal of ecology and evolution is to explain patterns of species distribution and abundance. However, the way in which stable distribution ranges are shaped by natural selection is still poorly understood, especially whether patterns of resource allocation have contributed to the range size and the formation of range boundary received little attention. For annual herb, the maximum reproductive allocation is predicted to be 50%, and thus we predicted that reproductive allocation might contribute to the formation of range boundary since plant will enhance allocations to reproduction in stressful environments. In this study, we presented our data on resource allocation between population from the glacial refegium and those from the marginal populations in Gymnaconitum gymnandrum, an alpine biennial native to the Qinghai Tibet Plateau, aiming to find the contribution of resource allocation to the formation of range boundary. Our results showed that resource allocations to vegetative organs, including roots, plant height and stem leaf biomass, were significantly higher in the refugium population that in the two marginal populations, and allocations to reproductive organs, including flower number and flower biomass, were significantly lower in one marginal population (Haibei population) than in the other marginal population (Xinghai population) and the refugium population (Tongren population). However, reproductive allocation was significantly higher in the marginal populations than in the refugium population. In addition, in each of the three populations, we found a positive relationship between the plant size and flower biomass but a negative relationship between the plant size and reproductive allocation. Our results indicated a size dependent reproductive allocation in Ggymnandrum, but we did not find a size threshold for reproduction in each of the three populations of this plant, which might be attributed to the life history of this biennial herb. We also suggested that reproductive allocation was increased during the process of range expansion and may rise to the optimal reproductive allocation in the marginal populations, which suggested the important role of sexual reproduction for plants in more stressful environments and the formation of range boundary. However, these conclusions need to be further proved in other plant species.     

青藏高原特有植物露蕊乌头 (毛茛科) 从冰期避难所扩张后繁殖资源分配的变化

物种分布范围的形成是进化生态学研究的基本问题之一,但植物的资源分配策略是否与物种边界形成有关一直没有相关研究。青藏高原特有植物露蕊乌头在末次最大冰期时有4个避难所,但冰期后只有一个避难所的种群发生了扩张并最终形成了现代分布格局。以露蕊乌头的避难所种群（同仁种群）和扩张后邻近分布区边缘的两个种群（兴海种群和海北种群）为研究对象,通过比较避难所种群和边缘种群的资源分配方式,探讨露蕊乌头的资源分配与该植物分布区及边界形成的关系。结果发现：1）兴海和海北种群的营养结构（包括根、植株高度和茎叶生物量）均显著低于同仁种群,海北种群的繁殖结构（花数量和花生物量）显著低于同仁和兴海种群,但海北和兴海的繁殖分配均显著高于同仁种群;2）3个种群的繁殖资源与个体大小呈现显著的正相关关系,投入到繁殖资源的比例（繁殖分配）与个体大小呈显著的负相关关系。对露蕊乌头的研究结果一方面进一步证明了个体大小依赖的繁殖分配,但不符合“植物开始繁殖必须达到一定的大小（阈值）”这一结论,这可能与露蕊乌头的生活史特征有关;而另一方面,露蕊乌头在扩张过程中逐渐增加了对繁殖资源投资的比例,说明胁迫生境中有性繁殖对该植物具有更为重要的意义,且露蕊乌头在扩张过程中可能逐渐实现繁殖产出最大化,并可能在边缘种群实现最优繁殖分配进而最终形成该物种分布区的边界,但这一结论仍需在更多的植物类群中验证。     

岩白菜（虎耳草科）不同海拔居群的繁殖分配

资源分配策略是植物生活史研究的重要内容之一,植物用于繁殖的相对资源比例（即繁殖分配）与植株的生活史特征、个体大小及植株的生境密切相关。本文研究了藏东南色季拉山一个阴坡上海拔4200m～4640m范围内6个不同居群的虎耳草科多年生草本植物岩白菜（Bergenia purpurascens）的繁殖分配特征,结果发现：（1）繁殖器官生物量、营养器官生物量、地上部分总生物量、花数目、花序轴长度均随海拔的升高而显著降低,而叶数目随海拔变化不大,繁殖分配值则先降低后升高,转折点在林线过渡带（海拔4400m）处;（2）各居群（海拔4300m居群除外）营养器官生物量与繁殖器官生物量均显著正相关,而营养器官生物量与繁殖分配则负相关,但各居群的显著性不同;（3）各居群繁殖器官生物量与植株个体大小（营养器官生物量）呈不同程度的异速增长,而繁殖分配则与植株个体大小负相关;（4）各居群植株都存在一个繁殖所需的个体大小阈值,而且这一阈值在林线以下区域随海拔的升高而显著增大,在林线以上区域变化不显著。研究结果表明,海拔并不是影响岩白菜繁殖分配策略的唯一生态因子,不同居群的生境状况和植株个体大小都与其资源分配策略密切相关,高山地区林线的存在对植物资源的权衡方式会产生巨大影响。     

根茎型植物扁秆荆三棱对光照强度和养分水平的生长响应及资源分配策略

自然界中光照和养分因子常存在时空变化,对植物造成选择压力。克隆植物可通过克隆生长和生物量分配的可塑性来适应环境变化。尽管一些研究关注了克隆植物对光照和养分因子的生长响应,但尚未深入全面了解克隆植物对光照和养分资源投资的分配策略。以根茎型草本克隆植物扁秆荆三棱(Bolboschoenus planiculmis)为研究对象,在温室实验中,将其独立分株种植于由2种光照强度(光照和遮阴)和4种养分水平(对照、低养分、中养分和高养分)交叉组成的8种处理组合中,研究了光照和养分对其生长繁殖及资源贮存策略的影响。结果表明,扁秆荆三棱的生长、无性繁殖及资源贮存性状均受到光照强度的显著影响,在遮阴条件下各生长繁殖性状指标被抑制。且构件的数目、长度等特征对养分差异的可塑性响应先于其生物量积累特征。在光照条件下,高养分处理的总生物量、叶片数、总根茎分株数、长根茎分株数、总根茎长、芽长度、芽数量等指标大于其他养分处理,而在遮阴条件下,其在不同养分处理间无显著差异,表明光照条件可影响养分对扁秆荆三棱可塑性的作用,且高营养水平不能补偿由于光照不足而导致的生长能力下降。光照强度显著影响了总根茎、总球茎及大、中、小球茎的生物量分配,遮阴条件下,总生物量减少了对地下部分根茎和球茎的分配,并将有限的生物量优先分配给小球茎。总根茎的生物量分配未对养分发生可塑性反应,而随着养分增加,总球茎分配下降,说明在养分受限的环境中球茎的贮存功能可缓冲资源缺乏对植物生长的影响。在相同条件下,根茎生物量对长根茎的分配显著大于短根茎,以保持较高的繁殖能力;而总球茎对有分株球茎的生物量分配小于无分株球茎,表明扁秆荆三棱总球茎对贮存功能的分配优先于繁殖功能。研究为进一步理解根茎型克隆植物对光强及基质养分环境变化的生态适应提供了依据。     

Do large‐seeded herbs have a small range size? The seed mass–distribution range trade‐off hypothesis

We aimed to introduce and test the “seed mass–distribution range trade‐off” hypothesis, that is, that range size is negatively related to seed mass due to the generally better dispersal ability of smaller seeds. Studying the effects of environmental factors on the seed mass and range size of species, we also aimed to identify habitats where species may be at risk and need extra conservation effort to avoid local extinctions. We collected data for seed mass, global range size, and indicators for environmental factors of the habitat for 1,600 species of the Pannonian Ecoregion (Central Europe) from the literature. We tested the relationship between species’ seed mass, range size, and indicator values for soil moisture, light intensity, and nutrient supply. We found that seed mass is negatively correlated with range size; thus, a seed mass–distribution range trade‐off was validated based on the studied large species pool. We found increasing seed mass with decreasing light intensity and increasing nutrient availability, but decreasing seed mass with increasing soil moisture. Range size increased with increasing soil moisture and nutrient supply, but decreased with increasing light intensity. Our results supported the hypothesis that there is a trade‐off between seed mass and distribution range. We found that species of habitats characterized by low soil moisture and nutrient values but high light intensity values have small range size. This emphasizes that species of dry, infertile habitats, such as dry grasslands, could be more vulnerable to habitat fragmentation or degradation than species of wet and fertile habitats. The remarkably high number of species and the use of global distribution range in our study support our understanding of global biogeographic processes and patterns that are essential in defining conservation priorities.     

青藏高原不同生境下湿生扁蕾(Gentianopsis paludosa)个体大小依赖的繁殖分配

植物对资源的投资和分配是生态学中的重要问题,它反映了植物应对环境变化时的生活史策略。选择青藏高原东缘同一海拔下的嵩草草甸(Kobresia sp.meadow)、金露梅灌丛(Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow)以及草甸-灌丛交错带3种生境类型,并以3种生境下的湿生扁蕾(Gentianopsis paludosa)为对象,研究了其繁殖分配特征。结果发现:(1)在种群水平上,在生境从草甸经交错带到灌丛的变化中,湿生扁蕾个体大小和繁殖分配比例逐渐增加;3个种群湿生扁蕾的总花数目没有显著差异,但草甸生境湿生扁蕾的蕾期花数目显著高于灌丛生境,而果期花数目则显著低于灌丛生境;(2)在个体水平上,湿生扁蕾的繁殖绝对投入与个体大小显著正相关,且各种群植株都存在繁殖所需的个体大小阈值,而繁殖阈值在生境从草甸经交错带到灌丛的过渡中逐渐减小;湿生扁蕾的繁殖相对投入与个体大小负相关,但相关系数随着生境从草甸经交错带到灌丛的过渡中逐渐减小;各种群花数目与湿生扁蕾植株个体大小显著正相关。研究表明,湿生扁蕾的繁殖投资存在大小依赖效应,但生境差异会对其繁殖投资和生活史策略造成显著影响,而这种影响主要是由不同生境下自然条件的不同造成的。同时,资源分配也与湿生扁蕾的遗传特性和延迟自交的繁育系统特征有关。湿生扁蕾这种不同生境下个体大小依赖的繁殖投资差异是湿生扁蕾与其生境长期适应和进化(生境选择)的结果。     

Sex allocation in aquatic ferns: The role of body size

Patterns of resource allocation reflect the plastic strategies that result from different selective pressures imposed by the environment. However, biomass allocation can be limited by architectural restrictions that change with the plant size. Our knowledge about sex allocation in heterosporous aquatic ferns remains scarce and studies on the reproductive strategies of these plants may yield valuable information regarding the evolutionary history of heterospory. Here, we investigate resources allocation, both in number and in biomass, to produce megasporangia and microsporangia among three species of Salvinia with different body sizes. Salvinia oblongifolia, S. auriculata and S. minima were collected in temporary ponds on the floodplain of the Pandeiros River in Brazil. We counted megasporangia and microsporangia, and measured their dry mass in each ramet. We also measured the total vegetative biomass and total reproductive biomass of each ramet in each species. Resource allocation to megasporangia production is associated with the specific body size of each species. However, the allocation for microsporangia production was higher in the species with intermediate size, which probably may be related to the drought event. The total reproductive biomass of each species was not dependent on the total vegetative biomass, but despite a similar reproductive effort, species differ on which sex is prioritized in the allocation process. Our results provide the first data about the processes underlying the sex allocation of Salvinia in the floodplains. The production of sori is size dependent in each Salvinia species and is shaped by drought, an intense selective pressure in temporary wet habitats.     

Correlates of geographic range size in New Zealand Chionochloa (Poaceae) species

Aim To test for correlations between plant traits and geographic range size. Location: New Zealand. Methods Trait data were derived from comparative experiments, in which plants were grown in pots or in a common garden, that tested for intrinsic differences among the species in traits relating to growth, reproduction and dispersal. Controlled experiments were used to test for differences in responses to drought and waterlogging stress. Geographic range size was measured as the number of 10 km grid squares in the New Zealand region containing at least one occurrence of the species. Results Growth rate, dispersal capacity and environmental tolerance were all positively related to geographic range size. Geographically restricted species tended to have more variable flowering between years. Flowering intensity, reproductive allocation, seed set, diaspore size, and responses to single environmental factors were not related to geographic range size. Main conclusions The differences between range‐restricted and widespread Chionochloa species appear to represent alternative strategies of coping with environmental change in a dynamic landscape. Range‐restricted species are specialized to temporally persistent habitats that are of limited geographic extent. As a consequence, they have evolved traits that conflict with persistence in widespread habitats. The implication for conservation management is that the conservation of rare plants will frequently depend on protection of their habitats. The widespread Chionochloa species possess traits that enable them to disperse to and occupy a greater range of habitats. These traits have allowed some of these species to expand their ranges following environmental changes that favoured an increase in grassland extent.     

Altitudinal Variations in Reproductive Allocation of Bergenia purpurascens (Saxifragaceae)

The strategy of resource allocation between vegetative and reproductive functions, quantitative relationship between size and reproductive output are central aspects of plant life history. To test the tactics of resource allocation and its altitudinal trend, we examined the reproductive allocation (RA) of Bergenia purpurascens (Saxifragaceae), in six populations along a shady slope in Sejila Mountain of southeast Tibet, at an altitude gradient from 4 200 m to 4 640 m. Our results showed that (1) with increasing altitude, vegetative biomass, reproductive biomass, total aboveground biomass, flower number per plant and length of flower stalk decreased significantly, but the number of leaves did not change greatly. However, the change of RA did not show a monotonic trend when altitude increased, shifting from significantly decreasing below the tree line to slightly increasing above it; (2) vegetative biomass was positively correlated with reproductive biomass, but negatively correlated with RA in all populations, but the level of significance was different among the populations; (3) RA decreased with individual size in all populations, whereas the relationship between absolute resource allocated to reproduction and individual size was allometric; (4) reproductive allometry and a size threshold for reproduction did exist in this alpine perennial, but the obvious altitudinal trend was only found along the populations below the tree line, not above it. We then concluded the altitude could not fully explain the change of resource allocation strategy of this alpine perennial, and different effects of size and habitat on RA may result from various environmental constraints along the altitudinal gradient or genetic background. Therefore, each individual within a population will follow its own developmental trajectory shaped by its genotype and the habitats. The most innovative finding was plant adaptation and resource trade off might be sharply altered at the tree line, which is a sensitive area in alpine mountains. Further investigations are needed to better understand the relationship between the reproductive allocation and changing environmental conditions.     

Plant reproductive allocation predicts herbivore dynamics across spatial and temporal scales

Life-history theory suggests that iteroparous plants should be flexible in their allocation of resources toward growth and reproduction. Such plasticity could have consequences for herbivores that prefer or specialize on vegetative versus reproductive structures. To test this prediction, we studied the response of the cactus bug (Narnia pallidicornis) to meristem allocation by tree cholla cactus (Opuntia imbricata). We evaluated the explanatory power of demographic models that incorporated variation in cactus relative reproductive effort (RRE; the proportion of meristems allocated toward reproduction). Field data provided strong support for a single model that defined herbivore fecundity as a time-varying, increasing function of host RRE. High-RRE plants were predicted to support larger insect populations, and this effect was strongest late in the season. Independent field data provided strong support for these qualitative predictions and suggested that plant allocation effects extend across temporal and spatial scales. Specifically, late-season insect abundance was positively associated with interannual changes in cactus RRE over 3 years. Spatial variation in insect abundance was correlated with variation in RRE among five cactus populations across New Mexico. We conclude that plant allocation can be a critical component of resource quality for insect herbivores and, thus, an important mechanism underlying variation in herbivore abundance across time and space.