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SUMMARY(1) Diaspore weight and dispersal were measured in 229 plant species of the central Australian arid zone. The frequency distribution of log diaspore sizes was unimodal, as has been observed for other habitats. The quantity of reserve (embryo plus endosperm) stored in the seed was related to the weight of the dispersal unit.(2) Reserve weight was greater for woody species than for herbaceous species. Within each growth form, there was no clear relationship between perenniality and reserve weight.(3) Most graminoids were wind dispersed, and elaiosomes for ant dispersal were more common among the woody species. The number of species with unassisted seeds was low in central Australia, when compared with other arid communities.
Information on how organisms allocate resources to reproduction is critical for understanding population dynamics. We collected clutch size (fecundity) and egg size data of female Eastern Gray Treefrogs, Hyla versicolor, and examined whether observed patterns of resource allocation are best explained by expectations arising from life history theory or by expected survival and growth benefits of breeding earlier. Female Hyla versicolor showed high between-individual variation in clutch and egg size. We did not observe maternal allocation trade-offs (size vs number; growth vs reproduction) predicted from life history theory, which we attribute to the large between-female variation in resource availability, and the low survival and post-maturity growth rate observed in the study population. Rather, clutches are larger at the beginning of the breeding season, and this variation in reproductive investment aligns with seasonal variation in ecological factors affecting offspring growth and survival.
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