Sex-specific plant responses to light intensity and canopy openness: implications for spatial segregation of the sexes

Abstract

In seed plants, the proximate causes of spatial segregation of the sexes (SSS) and its association with environmental variation are thought to be linked to sexspeciWc morphological and physiological variation. To address the general question of linkage among SSS, plant traits and environmental gradients, Marchantia inXexa was used, for which male plants are found under more open tree canopy than females. We hypothesized that males are adapted to higher light intensity and are better able to tolerate water stress than females, as is the case with seed plants. We tested for sex-speciWc habitat and trait relationships by quantifying plant traits (morphological and physiological) and estimates of the light conditions (percent canopy openness and light intensity) in the Weld. Using path analysis, we found that edge pore density in both sexes was negatively correlated with canopy openness, while in males, edge pore density had a weak but positive relationship to light intensity. These responses suggest that canopy openness and light intensity have opposing eVects on edge pore density in males and that males might be more responsive to water stress than females. Additionally, the greater importance of female support tissue, which functions as storage, in explaining and being explained by other variables in the path analysis, relative to male support tissue, may reXect sex-speciWc allocation diVerences related to resources needed for female function.

Sex-specific differences in functional traits and resource acquisition in five cycad species

“…Obeso 2002; Campbell 2000), and the majority of studies find females exhibit higher assimilate demand (Obeso 1997, 2002; Nicotra 1999a, 1999b; Banuelos and Obeso 2004; Cepeda-Cornejo and Dirzo 2010; Groen et al 2010; Teitel et al 2016). Such demands can be compensated by increased photosynthesis either on leaves near the site of reproduction, in foliar tissue in other parts of the plant, and/or by the reproductive organs themselves (Obeso 1997; Yu et al 2013; Sunmonu et al 2013).…”

A pseudomolecule‐scale genome assembly of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

“…Asexual propagules of M. polymorpha were used to understand how a dorsiventral body plan can develop from initially apolar cells (Mirbel, 1835;Zimmerman, 1882;Oppenheimer, 1922;Fitting, 1936;Halbsguth and Kohlenbach, 1953;Otto, 1976;Otto and Halbsguth, 1976), and studies of M. polymorpha were central in inspiring the debate on the cellular nature of organisms and the origin of new cells (Allen, 1917(Allen, , 1945Haupt, 1932;Nakayama et al, 2001;Yamato et al, 2007;Jamilena et al, 2008). Relatives of M. polymorpha have been extensively used to study fundamental questions of evolutionary ecology and population biology (Stark et al, 2005;Groen et al, 2010;Stieha et al, 2014;Brzyski et al, 2018). More recently, the phylogenetic position of M. polymorpha has made this species critical for understanding the evolution of gene regulatory networks across land plants (Breuninger et al, 2016;Bowman et al, 2017;Honkanen et al, 2018).…”

Sex ratio, spatial segregation, and fertilization rates of the epiphyllous mossCrossomitrium patrisiae(Brid.) Müll.Hal. in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

“…In general, pure female populations are more common than pure male populations, and females typically outnumber males in mixed populations (Bisang & Hedenäs, 2005). Sex-specific rates of germination (McLetchie, 1992;Shaw & Gaughan, 1993), vegetative growth (McLetchie & Puterbaugh, 2000), clonal regeneration (Stark et al, 2004), and tolerance to environmental stress (Fuselier & McLetchie, 2004;Stark et al, 2005;Cronberg et al, 2006;Groen et al, 2010) are considered to be the principal factors which contribute to female dominance in dioicous bryophytes.…”