Effect of parental flowering and dispersal times on offspring fate in Daucus carota (Apiaceae)

Seeds collected from parents that flowered at different times were dispersed onto experimental plots at different times during the normal dispersal season. Parental flowering and dispersal times, which are correlated with each other, independently affected offspring germination, growth, and time of reproduction. Estimated population growth rates were highest for offspring that were dispersed early in the dispersal season and that came from early flowering parents. The data provide evidence that 1) an individual's fate is determined by the environment of the previous generation, and that 2) an individual's fitness should be calculated from life history data that span more than one generation.