Morphogenetic Constraints on Patterns of Carbon Distribution in Plants

Watson, Maxine A.; Casper, Brenda B.

doi:10.1146/annurev.es.15.110184.001313

Cited by 621 publications

(248 citation statements)

References 151 publications

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“…In plants with modular growth characteristics, reproduction may be achieved either sexually, by the production of seeds, or clonally, by the production of new potentially independent, but genetically identical ramets (HARPER 1978). There is a consistent association between the specific architectural structure of a plant and the way in which meristems and resources are committed to various functions during its lifespan (HARPER & BELL 1979, WATSON ~¢ CASPER 1984, WALLER 1988, HUTCHINGS & MOGIE 1990, DE KROON ~¢ SCHIEVING 1990, KLIMES et al 1997. Life history theory predicts the existence of various trade-offs associated with reproductive traits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in life history traits of relatedEpilobium species: Clonality, seed size and seed number

Stöcklin

1999

Folia Geobot

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Small changes in morphology can affect the performance and functions of organisms and hence their ecological success. In modular constructed plants, contrasting growth strategies may be realized by differences in the spatial arrangement and size of shoots. Such differences change the way in which meristems and resources are assigned to various functions during the lifespan of a plant. If such changes include the capacity to spread clonally, sexual reproduction may also be affected. I compare patterns in vegetative growth and sexual reproductive traits in four allopatric species of Epilobium which are sometimes considered as subspecies of a single polymorphic taxon. The four species differ in the location of the buds which annually renew the aerial shoot system. E. dodonaei and E. steveni do not spread clonally and are characterized by a shrub-like habit. E. fleischeri, a species occurring only in the Alps, and E. colchicum, which occurs in the upper region of the Caucasus mountains, both produce buds on horizontal roots or plagiotropic shoots. Both alpine species exhibiting clonal growth have smaller shoots, fewer fruits and smaller seeds than the lowland species. An intraspecific trade-off between seed number per fruit and seed mass is realized. Both alpine species produce more seeds per fruit at the expense of seed mass. The morphological relationship between the four species and their geographical distribution suggest that clonal growth in E. fleischeri (restricted to the Alps) and E. colchicum (restricted to the Caucasus) is adaptively associated with the stressful conditions of alpine habitats. Our results suggest that clonal growth is not necessarily correlated with reduced reproduction by seeds. The success of plants which are already established may largely depend on clonal spread, but the colonization of new habitats depends on the production of a large number of small seeds with high dispersability.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in life history traits of relatedEpilobium species: Clonality, seed size and seed number

Stöcklin

1999

Folia Geobot

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“…[32,33]; thus, the IPU becomes wider. On the other hand, there are species in which similar treatments cannot change the borderline between IPUs, i.e., sectoriality is strict [32]. An important conclusion from the experiments is that IPUs do not necessarily coincide with developmental modules.…”

Section: Local Mechanisms and Integrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some modules can be strongly connected physiologically, whereas others may be independent (cf. [32,33]; Figure 1). This holds for any level of the hierarchy from metamers up to systems of branches.…”

Section: Local Mechanisms and Integrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Later when the carbon budget becomes positive, the branch can become autonomous. For example, in Capsicum annuum, each adult branch has been found to be selfsupporting: maturing fruits received assimilate only from leaves on the same branch and not through the main stem ( [34], cited in [32]). A considerable degree of autonomy can develop even on the level of single metamers.…”

Section: Local Mechanisms and Integrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A considerable degree of autonomy can develop even on the level of single metamers. For example, seeds ripening on Pisum arvense stems have been found to receive approximately 66% of their carbon supply from the leaves and pod within their own metamer ( [35], cited in [32]). …”

Section: Local Mechanisms and Integrationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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