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Floral Sex Allocation In Hosta Plantaginea (Liliaceae)

Posted on:2011-08-28Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:L XueFull Text:PDF
GTID:2143360308472197Subject:Forest cultivation
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Sex allocation is one of the most important and successful theories in the area of evolutionary-ecology, it is mainly study on the optimal allocation of male and female reproductive resources between sexes. In this study, we study on Hosta plantaginea that live under the forest by field observations and sampling, and study its sex allocation in individual level, sex allocation in inflorescence, trade-off on male and female functions, trade-off on flower size and number. And tries to analyze the sex allocation to reveal how the plants adapt to the environment.The results show that:(1)With plant height and inflorescence size of the total number of flowers on behalf of plants, the male input (r=0.484, p<0.01; r=0.277, p<0.05), female input (r=0.564, p<0.01; r=0.444, p<0.01) and attracting structure inputs (petals) (r= 0.237, p<0.05; r=0.160, p<0.05) are with the increase of plant size. Larger plants with more total resources means that the amount of investment is also part of the breeding high, which ensures full use of resources, and does not increase one part of the waste of resources.(2)On the individual level, using the quantitative indicators express sex allocation. Sex allocation estimated by gamete number did not depend on plant size (r =0.061, p=0.672; r=0.210, p=0.144); but it depend on plant size by biomass (r=-0.266, p<0.05; r=-0.393, p<0.05). The pollen number and ovule number of plants has been stable before it bloom, and, which is determined by plant genetic, can't change by differences environmental conditions. But for biomass, the environmental conditions will definitely affect the biomass of plant organ. This is a strategy of plant to adapt the environment.(3)On the inflorescence level, when we use the quantitative indicators to express the sex allocation, it put up that the base of the female side, the top of the male side; But when using the biomass to express sex allocation, its sex allocation will not depend on the variety of location. The gamete number have stabilized before it bloom, so the put up to the sex allocation which depend on the location; and biomass parameters impact by the environmental conditions masked the nature of the position-dependent allocation of plants.(4) It did not show a negative correlation between male and female functions. On the contrary, flowering plants put all into a significant positive correlation to pistil and stamen (r=0.431, p<0.01; r=0.861, p<0.01). the diversity of getting resources ability of individuals, trade-off exist in many characters (not just male and female functions) and other reasons, and it may very possible lead to male and female function input exist positive relation,but this will require more test to validate.(5) Trade-off between flower size and number have not detected (r=0.248, p= 0.164), but after using the partial correlation methods to control the individual plant size, the flower size and flower showed some a number of negative trends (partial correlation coefficient is less than 0),but not significant. The huge differences of individual plant size (resource acquisition capacity) is entirely possible cover the real trade-off, and this will need more test to validate.(6) The number of indicators, biomass put up different results on the individual level and inflorescence level,and it showed:in the study of plant sex allocation, we need to select multiple targets (in addition to the number, biomass, there are other indicators) to study, a single indicator exist limitations, it may not reveal the allocation pattern of plant resources.
Keywords/Search Tags:plant size, gamete number, biomass, trade-off
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