Resource allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction in a forest herbSyneilesis palmata (Compositae) |
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Authors: | Satomi Nishitani Makoto Kimura |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minamiohsawa 1-1, 192-03 Hachiohji, Tokyo, Japan |
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Abstract: | The balance between sexual and vegetative reproduction inSyneilesis palmata was examined in relation to environmental conditions and the amount of reproductive resources, which is defined here as the
total quantity of dry matter invested in both modes of reproduction. The allocation balance was measured for individual plants
of two populations, with different densities in an open habitat, for 2 years, and those of two other populations, under different
light intensities in a plantation forest (forest floor and edge), for 3 years. Relative allocation to sexual reproduction
decreased with increasing reproductive resources in all populations except for the forest edge, which showed a constant allocation
balance. The high density population showed lower relative allocation to sexual reproduction than the low density population,
irrespective of the amount of reproductive resources. However the between-year comparison of the high density population suggested
that under extremely high density, plants with a small amount of reproductive resources enhanced sexual reproduction, while
plants with a large amount of reproductive resources reproduced vegetatively. On the forest floor, plants with small amounts
of reproductive resources had higher relative allocation to sexual reproduction than the forest edge population, while plants
with large amounts of reproductive resources had a somewhat lower one. The adaptive significance of such allocation patterns
are discussed, based on qualitative data on the characteristics of both types of offspring. |
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Keywords: | resource allocation sexual reproduction Syneilesis palmata vegetative reproduction |
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